Stanislav Shushkevich

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Stanislav Stanislavovich Shushkevich, Warsaw (Poland), July 8, 2006

Stanislav Stanislavovich Shushkevich (Stanisłaŭ Stanisłavavič Šuškievič, Belarusian: Станісла́ў Станісла́вавіч Шушке́віч) (b. December 15, 1934) is a Belarusian politician and scientist. From 1991 to 1994 he was first leader and head of state of independent Belarus after dissolution of the USSR (Chairman of the Supreme Soviet - also chairman of Parliament). He supported free market and democratic reforms and played a key role in the creation of the Commonwealth of Independent States. Like many others democratic politicians in Belarus he has Polish origins.

Before his presidency he was a prominent Belarusian scientist, Corresponding Member of the Belarusian Academy of Sciences, Doctor in Physics and Mathematics, recipient of various state awards, professor, and the author and originator of award-winning textbooks and over 150 articles and 50 inventions.

On December 8, 1991, in Belavezhskaya Pushcha together with the leaders of Russia (Boris Yeltsin) and Ukraine (Leonid Kravchuk) he signed a declaration that the Soviet Union was dissolved and replaced by the Commonwealth of Independent States, that later became known as the "Belavezha Accords".

In late 1993, Alexander Lukashenko, the then-chairman of the anti-corruption committee of the Belarusian parliament, accused 70 senior government officials, including Stanislav Shushkevich, the then Chairman of the Supreme Soviet and the acting President, of corruption, including stealing state funds for personal purposes. Lukashenko's accusations forced a vote of confidence which Shushkevich lost. Shushkevich was replaced by Myechyslau Hryb.

Further investigation revealed that the accusations against Shushkevich were false.

In July, 1994 the first democratic presidential elections were held in Belarus. Six candidates stood, including Lukashenko, Shushkevich and Kebich, with the latter regarded as the clear favourite. In the first round Lukashenko won 45% of the vote against 15% for Kebich and only 10% for Shushkevich.

In 2002 the world learned about a highly unusual court case. Shushkevich sued the Belarusian Social Security Ministry: due to inflation, his retirement pension of a former head of the state constituted $1.80 monthly.

In 2004 he attempted to participate in parliamentary elections, but was refused registration by the electoral commission.