The Belarusian Independent Newspapers Outboard of Subscription Campaign Again

«Belposha» state monopolist’s enterprise official Aksana Chychko has informed the BAJ Press Service that a subscription campaign 2009 was started in Belarus on October 15, 2008. However, just another time, a number of non-state social and political newspapers were deprived of possibility to get into the «Belposhta» subscription catalogue.

The independent editorials sent written appeals to the state enterprise with a request to include them in the subscription catalogue, all in vain. The list of newspapers that appeared again outboard of the running subscription campaign in Belarus is as follows: nation-wide newspapers «Narodnaya Vola», ««Nasha Niva», «Novy Chas», «SNplus. Svobodnyje Novosti Plus», «Tovarisch» (nation-wide periodicals); regional newspapers «Borisovskiye Novosti», «Vitiebskiy Kuryer-M», «Volnaye Hlybokaye», «Gazeta Slonimskaya», «Hantsavitski Chas» and «Intex-press» (Baranavichy).
The «Belposhta» state monopolist enterprise refused to distribute the legendary «Nasha Niva» weekly, published in the Belarusian language, by subscription, traditionally referring to the economic inexpediency.

The «Belposhta» representatives phoned to «Gazeta Slonimskaya» (Hrodna region) in September 2008 and proposed the editorial to submit an application for including the periodical in the subscription catalogue. However, surprisingly, the newspaper wasn’t included in the catalogue after all. «The issue of getting „Gazeta Slonimskaya“ back to the catalogue is regarded by the enterprise management in the capital», Michail Mandrykievich, a post office representative from Slonim explained in his talk with the BAJ Press Service.

The «Intex-press» and «Hantsavitski Chas» newspapers received formal replies from «Belposhta» branch in Brest, explaining that the «expediency» of signing agreements with the newspapers was still under consideration.
Among other, Valantsina Pukh, the Head of «Belposhta» Branch in Brest accused the newspapers of holding «illegal subscription campaigns» in her interview to the BAJ Press Service. However, Uladzimir Yanukevich, the Head of «Intex-press» Publishing House was utterly surprised with the «Belposhta» official’s accusations, as the editorial subscription, held by «Intex-press» and «Hantsavitski Chas» is not banned by the law.

Other newspapers from the list, mentioned above, including «Volnaye Hlybokaye» (Vitsiebsk region) haven’t received any replies from «Belposhta» branches to their applications, sent in September 2008.
At the same time, it should be reminded that being deprived of any possibility to get normally distributed in Belarus, «Lakhavitski Chas» (Lakhavichy, Brest region) and «Miastsovy Chas» (Pinsk, Brest region) independent social and political weeklies had to suspend their publishing.