Putin Seeking To Ban NATO From Russian Neighborhood; May Be Shifting Support To Alexander Kozulin's Belarusian Social Democratic Opposition Party

"Belarus opposition leader Alexander Kozulin and his campaign headquarters staff are currently working on the plan to set up an alternative government in the country, Gazeta.ru said Wednesday.

The "people’s trust government" project will then be introduced to the political council of Belarus democratic forces.

"We are currently developing a proposition to the political council of democratic forces to set up the government of people’s trust," press secretary for Alexander Kozulin told Interfax.

Kozulin’s staff are negotiating with political and social Belarus activists over the possible work format for the alternative government, the press secretary added.

It is too early to say who will take part in the forming of the new government, she said.

Thousands of Belarusians have been demonstrating on a central Minsk square for four days, swelling the ranks of a core group that had spent the previous night to protest the extension of authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko’s rule."

"Belarus Opposition to Set Up an Alternative Government" MOSNEWS.com (Partner of Gazeta.ru) March 22, 2006 12:45 EDT

http://www.mosnews.com/news/2006/03/22/belarusgovt.shtml

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For Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's biography of Alexander Kozulin, see:

http://www.rferl.org/specials/belarus_votes/bios/Kazulin.aspx

For Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's biography of Alexander Milinkevich, see:

http://www.rferl.org/specials/belarus_votes/bios/Milinkevich.aspx












Alexander Kozulin was assaulted by the Lukashenka regime one week before the March 19, 2006 election.

Vladimir Putin may feel closer to Alexander Kozulin than to Alexander Milinkevich, due to the latter's support for Belarus joining NATO as well as the European Union.

Photo credits: Agence France Presse and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty file. With thanks.