Lukashenko was one of ten candidates registered for the presidential election held in Belarus on 19 December 2010. Though originally envisaged for 2011 an earlier date was approved 'to ensure the maximum participation of citizens in the electoral campaign and to set most convenient time for the voters'.[53] The run-up to the campaign was marked by a series of Russian media attacks upon the incumbent Alexander Lukashenko.[54] The Central Election Committee said that all nine opposition figures were likely to get less than half the vote total incumbent Lukashenko would get.[55] Though opposition figures alleged intimidation[56] and "dirty tricks" were being played, the election was seen as comparatively open as a result of desire to improve relations with both Europe at-large and the United States.[55]
On election day, two presidential candidates were seriously beaten by police[8] in different opposition rallies.[57][58][59] One opposition candidate and poet Uladzimir Niaklajeu (Vladimir Neklyaev), sustained a head injury during this beating and was abducted from intensive care by the Belarusian authorities. On the night of the election opposition protesters chanting "Out!," "Long live Belarus!" and other similar slogans attempted to storm the building of the government of Belarus, smashing windows and doors before riot police were able to push them back.[61] The number of protesters was reported by major news media as being around or above 10,000 people.[62][63][64][65][66][67] Hundreds of people who protested against the election result have been arrested, including at least seven presidential candidates.[8] .............. Lukashenko's inauguration ceremony of 22 January 2011 was boycotted by European Union ambassadors,[72] while fellow CIS countries did send officials not higher than ambassadors.[73] During this ceremony Lukashenko defended the legitimacy of his re-election and vowed that Belarus would never have its own version of the 2004 Ukrainian Orange Revolution and Georgia's 2003 Rose Revolution.[72] Effective 31 January 2011, the European Union renewed a travel ban, prohibiting Lukashenko and 156 of his associates from traveling to EU member countries, as a result of violent crackdowns of opposition supporters by Lukashenko's government forces following the election.[74][75][76]...
Controversial statements
Lukashenko has been noted for making controversial statements. He
has been accused of making a remark in 1995 which praised
Adolf Hitler: "The history of Germany is a copy of the history
of Belarus. Germany was raised from ruins thanks to firm authority
and not everything connected with that well-known figure Hitler was
bad. German order evolved over the centuries and attained its peak
under Hitler."[96]
However, this allegation was originally made by the Russian
television channel NTV, on the basis of an interview which
Lukashenko gave to the German newspaper Handelsblatt, in
which Hitler was not even mentioned. The original interviewer, Dr.
Markus Zeiner, said "a tape of the interview had been quoted out of
context and with the sequence of comments altered by the Russian
media."[97]
In October 2007 Lukashenko was accused of making blatant anti-Semitic and anti-Israel comments. Addressing the "miserable state of the city of Babruysk" on a live broadcast on state radio he stated: "This is a Jewish city,[98] and the Jews are not concerned for the place they live in. They have turned Babruysk into a pigsty. Look at Israel—I was there and saw it myself ... I call on Jews who have money to come back to Babruysk."[99] Members of the United States House of Representatives sent a letter to the Belarusian ambassador to the United States, Mikhail Khvostov, addressing Lukashenko's comments with a strong request to retract them.[100] The comments also caused a reaction from Israel.[101] Consequently, Pavel Yakubovich, editor of Belarus Today, was sent to Israel, and in a meeting with the Israel Foreign Ministry said that Lukashenko’s comments were "a mistake that was said jokingly, and does not represent his positions regarding the Jewish people" and that he was "anything but anti-Semitic," and "insulted by the mere accusation."[102] Belarus Ambassador to Israel, Igor Leshchenya, stated that the president had a "kind attitude toward the Jewish people." Sergei Rychenko, the press secretary at the Belarus Embassy in Tel Aviv, said parts of Lukashenko's comments were mistranslated.[] In fact, two Belarus newspapers—Nasha Niva (Our Wheatfield) and Narodnaia Volia (People's Will)—were shut down in 2006, after ignoring several warnings, for publishing allegedly anti-Semitic and racist articles.[]
On 4 March 2012, Lukashenko provoked diplomatic rebuke from
Germany[105]
and much controversy when he insulted the openly gay German Foreign
Minister, Guido Westerwelle, by claiming that it was "better to be a
dictator than gay" two days after European Union leaders (including
Westerwelle) at a summit in Brussels on 3 March had called for new
measures to pressure Lukashenko over alleged human rights abuses in
Belarus. In the meeting, Westerwelle had referred to Lukashenko as
"Europe's last dictator".
UNQUOTE
Not universally loved.
Mario Pescante -
teaches law, knows better
QUOTE
Pescante began his career as a university sports manager and was
appointed secretary general of the
Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) in 1973. He served as Italy's
chef de mission for seven
Summer Olympics and five
Winter Olympics. In 1993, Pescante was elected president of CONI. He
resigned in October 1998 over a doping scandal.[1]
He served as vice president of the Association of National Olympic Committees from 2001 to 2006. He teaches sports law at LUISS University in Rome and has authored numerous publications.[2] In 2009, he became the first Italian to become a vice president of the IOC.[2]
In February 2011, he was chosen to head Rome's bid for the 2020 Summer Olympics,[3] however the bid was withdrawn due to the lack of government support.[4]
Political career
Pescante is a member of the
People of Freedom party, and has been a member of the
Italian Chamber of Deputies since 2001. He served as an undersecretary
of the
Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities under prime minister
Silvio Berlusconi from 2001 to 2006. At present, he is the president of
the 14th Commission of the Chamber of Deputies (in charge of
European Union affairs).[2]
UNQUOTE
Political. Using sport as a tool?
Pescante Suppressed Doping |Evidence In The 1990s
OLYMPICS; Former U.S. Olympic Official Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud
QUOTE
OLYMPICS; Former U.S. Olympic Official Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud
A former United States Olympic official pleaded guilty today to tax fraud in a case that for the first time linked the Salt Lake bribery scandal to Rome's failed bid for the 2004 Summer Games.
Alfredo La Mont, the former United States Olympic Committee director of international affairs, is the first Olympic official charged in the scandal.
La Mont is charged with creating a sham company to hide a consulting agreement with Salt Lake's bid officials. He is also charged with failing to pay taxes on $40,000 he received in 1997 from Rome's bid committee.
At a hearing before United States Magistrate Ronald Boyce, he admitted to two felony counts of tax fraud and agreed to help the Justice Department investigation, which is expected to conclude within a year.
Two others -- a businessman and the son of an International Olympic Committee member -- have been charged in the scandal in which Salt Lake bid officials gave more than $1 million in cash, gifts and scholarships to I.O.C. members before winning the rights to the 2002 Winter Olympics.
In reference to the first charge, La Mont told Boyce he knowingly conspired with two Salt Lake bid officials to be paid for consulting work and to hide those payments. The Salt Lake officials were not identified.
On the second charge, La Mont admitted that he did not report as income the money he received from Rome bid officials.
Boyce postponed La Mont's sentencing indefinitely. La Mont's attorney, Lee Foreman, said the sentence would depend on his cooperation with investigators.
In documents filed in United States District Court, Rome is mentioned for the first time in the Olympic scandal that has already touched Atlanta, Nagano, Salt Lake City and Sydney. Rome lost the 2004 bid to Athens.
''Our internal investigation had not turned up anything about a relationship with Rome. That's a surprise,'' Mike Moran, a U.S.O.C. spokesman, said.
In Rome, a former Italian Olympic Committee president, Mario Pescante, said he was surprised to hear of the La Mont deal. A spokesman for the Italian Olympic Committee, Massimo Fabricini, had no immediate comment.
The Justice Department would not elaborate on the Rome connection.
Foreman was vague on his client's agreement with Rome officials.
''I think they were certainly consultant services,'' he said. ''I don't know that I want to characterize it otherwise.''
Franklin Servan-Schreiber, spokesman for the I.O.C., said from Lausanne, Switzerland, that the I.O.C. wrote to the Rome organizers, asking about the conduct of I.O.C. delegates. No problems were reported.
''We have no basis on which we can ask Rome about this kind of
payment,'' he said. ''It's a private organization with private
funding.''
UNQUOTE
Corruption is the name of the game.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/primo-nebiolo-741735.html Italian, effective corrupt, drugs