The 109 deputies of the outgoing lower chamber of the National Assembly were handpicked by President Aliaksandr Lukashenka from the 13th Supreme Soviet, which the president disbanded after the November 1996 constitutional referendum. Fifty-eight of the deputies aspired to remain in parliament for a second term. Among parliamentary contenders were also 19 members of the 13th Supreme Soviet who had not joined the National Assembly.

However, there were no elections in the proper legal sense in Belarus. In 2000, the Belarusian parliament was handpicked again. This time not by Lukashenka's official decree, but through election commissions and courts subordinate to the head of state. They were ordered to ensure that a third of parliament should be elected from the current members and to prevent opposition members of the 13th Supreme Soviet from being elected.

District election commissions directed by the Central Election Commission (CEC) did their job well. They denied registration to twelve former parliamentarians. The CEC and the Supreme Court sustained the decision, which was in fact an order of the head of state. Three members of the outgoing House of Representatives were denied registration: Mikalaj Karpijevich, Tatsiana Krauchanka (Khadnevich) -- Minsk region and Anatol Volkau - Brest region. The other nine refusals were for members of the 13th Supreme Soviet: Valery Shchukin [human rights activist]- Vitsebsk region, Uladzimir Basharymau, Aliaksandr Bukhvostau [leader of the automobile and agricultural implement workers' trade union], Valery Novak - Homel region, Uladzimir Hancharyk [head of the Belarusian Federation of Trade Unions], Henadz Usiukevich - Minsk region, Uladzimir Tarasau, Viktar Tsiareshchanka, Henadz Hrushavy [president of the charitable foundation "For the Children of Chernobyl"] - Minsk.

Five would-be candidates fell out of the campaign in the first round, as the elections were declared invalid in their constituencies. These are four members of the outgoing House of Representatives: Uladzimir Pletsiukhou - Brest region, Valery Aliaksandrau, Mikalaj Bialou, Viktar Burak - Vitsebsk region, and one member of the 13th Supreme Soviet - Siarhej Kaliakin [chairman of the Belarusian Party of Communists] - Minsk.

Twenty-two candidates were defeated in the first round. Among them are 15 members of the outgoing House of Representatives: Piotr Zhushma - Brest region, Aleh Lapkouski, Viktar Pasechnik - Vitsebsk region, Mikalaj Kamiak, Leanid Sechka - Homel region, Mikalaj Bekish, Anatol Kuzma - Hrodna region, Uladzimir Yahorau, Ruslan Ihnatsishchau, Aliaksej Kamaj, Aliaksandr Kozyr, Siamion Liushyts - Mahiliou region, Anton Ramanouski, Nina Tseliabuk - Minsk region, Valiantsina Samuseva - Minsk.

The other seven are members of the 13th Supreme Soviet: Viktar Hruntou, Mikalaj Dziamidau- Vitsebsk region, Viktar Khomich - Hrodna region, Ihar Annushkin - Mahiliou region, Alena Skryhan, Heorhi Kiberman - Minsk region.

One member of the outgoing House of Representatives, Pavel Zajtsau - Minsk region, was defeated in the second round of elections.

The presidential executives coped with the task. As a result of the parliamentary campaign, 35 members of the outgoing House of Representatives retained their seats, which makes 36 percent of the total number of those "elected".

Below are the names of those newly elected members of parliament whose loyalty to Lukashenka is undoubted:

Brest region

Barys Bikkinin [deputy minister of emergency situations, deputy chairman of the permanent Commission on National Security of the outgoing House of Representatives], Vasil Harhun [member of the permanent Commission on National Security of the outgoing House of Representatives], Aliaksandr Zinchanka [chairman of the permanent Commission on Budget and Finance of the outgoing House of Representatives], Viktar Kuchynski [presidential aide, director of the Belarusian leader's Humanitarian Aid Department], Ivan Pashkevich [member of the permanent Commission on International Affairs and Relations with CIS of the outgoing House of Representatives], Aliaksandr Sviryd [head of the district executive committee, deputy minister of emergency situations, deputy chairman of the permanent Commission on Human Rights and Ethnic Relations of the outgoing House of Representatives]

Vitsebsk region

Aliaksandr Azarchankau [member of the permanent Commission on Agrarian Issues of the outgoing House of Representatives], Raman Ananjeu [president of the private joint stock oil and gas company Belneftegaz, deputy chairman of the permanent Commission on Labor, Social Issues, Healthcare, Physical Culture and Sports of the outgoing House of Representatives], Valery Lektarau [head of the health department of Vitsebsk Regional Executive Committee, member of the outgoing House of Representatives], Piotr Razynko [member of the outgoing House of Representatives], Mikhail Sasonka [deputy chairman of the permanent Commission on State System Building, Local Self-Government and Rules of Procedure of the outgoing House of Representatives], Vasil Khrol [deputy chairman of the permanent Commission on Economic Issues of the outgoing House of Representatives]

Homel region

Yury Astapchanka [director general of the Belarusian Material Resources Concern (Belresursy), member of the outgoing House of Representatives], Leanid Hlukhouski [head of the Investigations Committee under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, member of the permanent Commission on Legislation of the outgoing House of Representatives], Siarhej Kastsian [chairman of the permanent Commission on International Affairs and Relations with CIS of the outgoing House of Representatives], Valiantsin Kruchkou [chairman of the permanent Commission on Chernobyl Issues, Environment and Nature Management of the outgoing House of Representatives], Vital Kulik [director of a state-run bread-baking plant, member of the permanent Commission on Agrarian Issues of the outgoing House of Representatives], Mikalaj Kutsko [chairman of the permanent Commission on Agrarian Issues of the outgoing House of Representatives], Anatol Malafejeu [chairman of the outgoing House of Representatives], Anatol Salaujou [deputy chief of the police department of Homel Regional Executive Committee]

Hrodna region

Mikalaj Dunich [chairman of the local district executive committee, member of the outgoing House of Representatives]

Mahiliou region

Mikhail Anikejeu [assistant professor at Belarusian Agriculture Academy, member of the outgoing House of Representatives], Anatol Babkou [chairman of the permanent Commission on Legislation of the outgoing House of Representatives], Maryja Vinakurava [director of Babrujsk factory of large panel construction, member of the outgoing House of Representatives], Uladzimir Kanapliou [deputy chairman of the outgoing House of Representatives], Valery Lipkin [director general of an agricultural trade company Dnepr, member of the outgoing House of Representatives], Aliaksandr Shpileuski [deputy chairman of the permanent Commission on International Affairs and Relations with CIS of the outgoing House of Representatives]

Minsk region

Stanislau Havarushkin [head of the health department of the regional executive committee, chairman of the permanent Commission on Labor, Social Issues, Healthcare, Physical Culture and Sport of the outgoing House of Representatives], Mikalaj Dubovik [deputy chairman of the permanent Commission on Labor, Social Issues, Healthcare, Physical Culture and Sport of the outgoing House of Representatives], Piotr Kaluhin [director general of the Belaruskali potash fertilizers enterprise, member of the outgoing House of Representatives], Viachaslau Kebich [president of the Belarusian Industrial and Financial Union, prime minister from 1990 to 1994, member of the outgoing House of Representatives], Ihar Katliarou [deputy chairman of the permanent Commission on Human Rights and Ethnic Relations of the outgoing House of Representatives], Maryja Khudaja [deputy chairperson of the permanent Commission on Chernobyl Issues, Environment and Nature Management of the outgoing House of Representatives]

City of Minsk

Uladzimir Aleksandrovich [director general of the Itera-Bel company, deputy chairman of the permanent Commission on Labor, Social Issues, Healthcare, Physical Culture and Sport of the outgoing House of Representatives], Anatol Krasutski [chairman of the permanent Commission State System Building, Local Self-Government and Rules of Procedure of the outgoing House of Representatives].

There are all reasons to believe that the members of the lower chamber of parliament had been approved by Lukashenka before the candidates were registered. The results show that his direction was duly followed, with the exception of Brest and Vitsebsk where the local executives failed to organize the blackmail of those living in hostels, the manipulation of lists of voters and the secret vote count in the first round.

The assertions are proved by the fact that five days before the vote count in the first round, the names of deputies "elected" in Vitsebsk during the "democratic and transparent elections" were published in the Narodnaya volya national daily (of October 12, 2000):

Vitsebsk rural constituency N21 - Tatsiana Holubeva [deputy minister of architecture and construction]

Hlybokaje constituency N22 - Vasil Khrol

Lepel constituency N23 - Raman Ananjeu

Mijory constituency N24 - Natallia Tkachuk [head physician of a district hospital]

Navapolatsk constituency N25 - Leu Navazhilau [vice president of an ice hockey club, former head of the Polimir enterprise]

Orsha city constituency N26 - Uladzimir Pechankou [director of Orsha school]

Orsha Dniaprouski constituency N27 - Uladzimir Zhvikau [head of Orsha locomotive depot]

Polatsk city constituency N28 - Uladzimir Isajeu [head physician of Polatsk territorial medical association]

Polatsk rural constituency N29 - Mikhail Sasonka

Pastavy constituency N30 - Piotr Razynko [member of the outgoing House of Representatives]

Talachyn constituency N31 - Aliaksandr Azarchankau

Shumilin constituency N32 - Valery Lektarau

Parliamentary elections 2000 are elections without electing. As many as 190 nominees were denied registration. All opposition-minded politicians and those whose loyalty to the regime was doubted by the Presidential Administration, were barred from the election campaign.

Two members of the 13th Supreme Soviet who were let in parliament - Volha Abramava [leader of the liberal movement Yabloko] and Uladzimir Navasiad [leader of the opposition youth organization Hramadzianski Forum (Civil Forum)] - must have sworn fidelity to Lukashenka. Otherwise they would not have published their electoral publications in state-run (pro-presidential) mass media, and the authorities would not have been so tolerant to them.

Although these two politicians do not participate in opposition campaigns the authorities will now demonstrate them to Europe as "constructive" opposition in Belarusian parliament.