Another denial of “Belsayuzdruk” to independent mass media
- 18.11.2008, 16:45
Two more independent socio-political newspapers, “Novy Chas” and “Tovarisch”, have received an answer to their request to renew their distribution via newspaper kiosks.
Thus, for today all independent socio-political newspapers, except “Gazeta Slonimskaya” which addressed this autumn addressed “Sayuzdruk” enterprises with an offer to renew cooperation, were refused. As the editor-in-chief of “Gazeta Slonimskaya” Viktar Valadaschuk told in the talk with the press-service of the BAJ, he is waiting for an answer to his address for more than a month.
Last week the editorial office of “Tovarisch” received a written answer of “Belposhta” to their request to distribute the newspaper in 2009 via subscription.
“Belposhta” does not find it practical to include newspaper “Tovarisch” to the subscription catalogue,” the letter of November 11 signed by director general of the enterprise Alyaksandra Charnyak reads.
“Belsayuzdruk” is subordinate to the Information Ministry, “Belposhta” to the Communications Ministry, but it is clear that the decision to deny the right for distribution to independent newspapers had been recieevd in higher authorities, in the Administration of the president,” the editor-in-chief of “Tovarisch” Syarhei Vaznyak is convinced.
“We have found other ways to get to our readers certainly, but nevertheless we are set to fight for rights for existence equal with state-run newspapers. Meanwhile, a month of the term offered by the EU for Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s “reformation” has passed. And there are no changes for the better in the sphere of mass media noticeable so far. And the denials of “Belposhta” and “Sayuzdruk” to distribute socio-political newspapers show that the Belarusian regime does not want to demonstrate at least minimal trend for democratization,” Syarhei Vaznyak said.
For today all-nation newspapers which have been deprived of a possibility to be distributed via the network of “Sayuzdruk” enterprises include: “Narodnaya Volya”, “Tovarisch”, “Novt Chas”, and regional newspapers “Bobrujskiy Kurjer”, “Borisovskiye Novosti”, “Vitsebskiy Kurjer M”, “Volnaye Hlybokae”, “Gazeta dlia vas” (Ivatsevichy). “Gazeta Slonimskaya”, “Hantsavitski chas”, “Intex-press” (Baranavichy), “Nyasvizhski chas”.
The newspapers which cannot be received by readers by subscription: “Narodnaya Volya”, “Nasha Niva”, “Tovarisch”, “SN Plus. Svobodnye Novosti Plus”, “Novy Chas”, “Borisovskiye Novosti”, “Vitsebskiy Kurjer M”, “Volnaye Hlybokae”, “Gazeta Slonimskaya”, “Hantsavitski chas”, “Intex-press”.
Because of absence of possibility to be distributed in a normal way in 2008 two more newspapers, “Lyakhavitski chas” and “Myastsovy chas”, had to suspend work.
Earlier on the same reasons (and also because it is problematic to be published in Belarus), such newspapers as “BDG. Beloruskaya Delovaya Gazeta”, “Salidarnasts”, “Birzha informatsyi” (Hrodna), “Mestnaya gazeta” (Vaukavysk), “Khimik” (Navapolatsk) and some other newspapers stopped their existence.