Viktor Lukashenko became the NOC president; Danish BankInvest got rid of Belarusian Eurobonds, 26 more investment funds remain on the list; Tsikhanouskaya initiated the creation of a BYPOL-based think tank
26 February 2021 | Voice of Belarus
Source: NN.BY
From father to son. Lukashenko’s eldest son Viktor replaced his father as the NOC president
The National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Belarus held elections for the position of the organization’s president. Only two candidates were nominated for the elections – Alexander Lukashenko and his eldest son Viktor. Alexander Lukashenko has been the head of the NOC since May 1997. It is to be noted that Lukashenko Sr. recused himself, thus no one other than Viktor was nominated for the position of the Olympic Committee president. After being elected for this position, Viktor will lose his post as an Assistant to the President for National Security, where he oversees the work of security services. A new NOC executive committee was also elected, which again included Dmitry Baskov, against whom an independent IIHF investigation is being conducted.
The question of re-elections might not have been raised if not for the pressure from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in connection with the repressions against Belarusian athletes who have protested against the falsification of the presidential election results and violence in the country. In December 2020, Alexander Lukashenko and members of the NOC executive committee were temporarily (for an undetermined period of time) banned from participating in all IOC events and the Olympic Games due to violations of the Olympic Charter.
The Belarusian issue could have been further investigated at the meeting of the IOC Executive Committee on 24 February. However, Thomas Bach said it had to wait until after the National Olympic Committee elections.
Due to the outright violation of the athletes’ rights, the National Olympic Committee of Belarus is threatened with sanctions, including competing under a neutral flag at the Tokyo Olympics.
Danish BankInvest got rid of Belarusian Eurobonds, 26 more investment funds remain on the list
The National Anti-Crisis Management (NAM) chaired by Pavel Latushka appealed to the IMF and 27 investment funds from the United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, the United States, and other countries. The investment funds from these countries bought $1.2 billion worth of Belarusian Eurobonds issued on the eve of the presidential elections in Belarus. “Lukashenko’s regime is living in constant debt, taking huge new loans to pay off the old ones,” said Pavel Latushka in the appeal.
NAM suggested checking how the Belarusian government spent the income received from the Eurobonds and subsequently presenting bonds for early redemption. NAM is convinced that the funds were used for repressions against the Belarusian people instead of paying off previous loans.
Thus, debt repayment falls on the shoulders of ordinary Belarusians. This has already been reflected in the tightening of tax policy, price increases, and other economic steps taken by the Belarusian government.
BankInvest (Denmark) has already reported the sale of Belarusian Eurobonds but did not release a corresponding official statement yet. At the moment, Raiffeisen Bank International AG, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Assicurazione Generali, Jyske Invest and Sparinvest, Allianz Global Investors, and others are among the Eurobond holders.
Belarusian football fans declare a boycott
Fans of two Belarusian football clubs – Dynamo Brest and Neman Hrodna – announced a boycott. They will not attend home games and will not support the teams at away games. The fans stated that they would not show up in the stands due to the political situation in Belarus and out of solidarity with the fans who suffered for their active positions.
The fans of Dynamo Brest were the first to announce that they would not attend football matches. The corresponding statement was posted on their Instagram page.
The fans noted that they do not turn away from the club, asking for understanding in this situation.
“Before the start of the next football season, we want to remind everyone once again. The active fan sector at home and away will be absent until the complete victory of the people. Good luck and have patience! Long live Belarus,” said the Neman fans.
Many fans have been boycotting games since last spring when Belarus Football Federation decided to hold matches amidst the pandemic. After the elections, it became a boycott for political reasons.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya initiated the creation of a BYPOL-based think tank
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya initiates the creation of a Situational Analysis Center based upon BYPOL.
The Situational Analysis Center will perform the following tasks:
- Strategic planning and development of tactical actions to restore law and order in Belarus;
- Collection and analysis of critical operative information, including that on protest activities in Belarus;
- Coordination of active groups, initiatives, and organizations;
- Consulting and support of activists’ associations to ensure their safety;
- Interaction with current employees of law enforcement agencies and security forces;
- Neutralization of threats to the independence of Belarus.
For more information on the events of 26 February 2021, please visit Infocenter Free Belarus 2020:
