Shop of discord

On January 27, the session of the Minsk City Commission on Fight against Drunkenness and Alcohol Abuse took place at the Minsk City Executive Committee. The problem of the 24-hour sale of alcoholic beverages by the Azarennie shop No.28 at Bielskaha street 69 was considered at the session. For reference – this problem was raised by the activists of the Movement for Freedom (the MFF) and the Right Alliance youth organization who initiated the Sober View campaign in the Frunzienski district of Minsk. The special letter concerning this problem was sent to the Minsk City Executive Committee as part of the campaign.

Information appeared that the citizens’ actions on the fight against alcohol use promotion among the population were supported by the participants of the session. However, no definite decision was taken as is usual for Belarusian authorities. Moreover, the well-known practice was used – namely, to find the scapegoat. The person who is the least responsible for decision making was chosen for the role of the scapegoat.

In the evening of January 27, the shop head Nadzieya Lukashevich phoned Ales Shpakouski, the Sober View campaign leader, on his mobile phone. In despair, Lukashevich told him she was accused of the current situation, though the order to open the night shop and to start 24-hour sale of alcoholic beverages was given by the Minister of Trade himself in June 2009 during his visit of the Azarennie sales network. During the 20 minutes talk, Lukashevich informed that she got between a rock and a hard place: the Minsk City Executive Committee deputy head Mr. Tsitsiankou demands closing the shop night section, and the Ministry of Trade demands increasing turnover and revenues, including the revenues from the alcoholic beverages sale. Shpakouski expressed his sympathy to the shop head and said that the campaign activists are not against the trade or turnover increase but wouldn’t allow “poisoning” people with vodka and low-quality fruit wine.

The MFF and the Right Alliance continue their fight against alcohol abuse in the Frunzienski district of Minsk. At their extraordinary meeting, the Sober View campaign activists decided to sent the appeal to the Ministry of Trade and – in case it doesn’t help – to arrange the picket near the said shop at Bielskaha street.

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