We offer to your attention the next issue of Infofocus bulletin. The Congress of Democratic Forces and following election of a sole presidential candidate for the Belarusian opposition has become the major political event in Belarus in October. Therefore, discussion of the Congress results has become our "Topic of Month".
Is it true that election of a sole candidate took the opposition to a new consolidation level? How has appearance of a sole candidate changed disposition of forces at the political arena in general and in the opposition camp in particular? How successful is formation of election organizing committees for the opposition? We asked these questions to Associate Prof. O. Abramova, PhD in Philosophy, Deputy of the House of Representatives, and Associate Prof. V. Karbalevich, PhD. in History, expert of Strategy Analytical Center.
The Topic of Month naturally proceeds into the "Person of Month" as its hero is the new opposition leader A. Milinkevich. During the nation opinion poll conducted in September by a group of independent sociologists led by the IISEPS, it has turned out that about 10% of respondents were ready to support a sole candidate for democratic forces even not knowing his/her name. It is now one month after the Congress. Was A. Milinkevich able to take advantage of this credit of confidence? Can he become a national figure? How will his image of a nation-oriented politician close to the Belarusian Popular Front, yet not its member, influence the campaign of the sole candidate and his relations with Russia? Will he try to change this image? We offer you the opinions of Associate Prof. V. Suryaev, PhD in History, Head of Analytical Department at the President's Academy of Public Administration and Management, and V. Matskevich, methodology expert, philosopher and educationalist. They also comment on sole candidate's plans to widely politicize the society so as to involve it into the opposition activity (See the appropriate article in the bulletin "IISEPS News" No. 2 (36) 2005) as well as on A. Milinkevich's statement that he "doesn't guarantee his victory at the presidential election but agrees that the opposition will endure Arctic Night in case he fails."
This time our "Document of Month" features the law "On Establishment of Home and Foreign Policies in Belarus." Who needs this document and why? Why is regulation pertaining to this law written up in the Constitution? Why did its draft scrape hard through the president's office? Here you will find opinions of A. Krasutsky, Deputy Chairman of the Commission on Foreign Affairs and CIS Relations of the House of Representatives, who proposed the draft, and independent political scientists Y. Shevtsov.
In the column "Organization of Month", we introduce Russia-Belarus Working Group on the Development of Draft Union State's Constitution: On October 20, it approved the Constitution draft which will be proposed to the Supreme State Council on November 15. Our experts - Prof. S. Karaganov, PhD in History, member of Russia's Council for Promotion of Civic Organizations and Human Rights Centers, Chairman of Russia's Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, and A. Suzdaltsev, PhD in History, Belarusian political scientist - discuss the prospects of new Russia-Belarus integration as well as export of democracy from Russia to Belarus.
Our column "IISEPS Desktop" offers to your attention materials reflecting the most interesting results of the nation opinion poll conducted in September of 2005.
We hope that you will find these materials helpful and interesting. All comments and feedbacks are mostly welcome!

IISEPS executive board

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