BAJ Congress Elected Management and Adopted Manifest of Conscience

A reporting and election Congress of the Belarusian Association of Journalists was held in Minsk on 2 June 2006. The delegates to the Congress elected the BAJ management and adopted a number of important documents. Zhanna Litvina was re-elected to hold the position of the BAJ Chairperson.

The Congress participants stood in memory of their late colleagues, passed away or murdered within the recent three years: Veranika Charkasava, Vasil Hrodnikau, Anatol Iaras, Karlas Sherman, Viktar Shavialevich, Aleh Dunaieuski, Dzmitry Kisel, and Piatro Nahnibiada.

The Congress participants listened to the reports, prepared by the BAJ management, the Internal Audit Committee, and the Ethics Committee. Some participants took the floor for their statements and comments as well.

The Congress adopted a number of documents. Among other, there was supported a call to the journalistic community: Journalism is a Profession of Honest and Responsible People (The Manifest of Conscience). The delegates called upon their colleagues to realize the whole significance of their civil responsibility and declared their decisive adherence to the principles of professional journalism and the journalist ethics.

The Congress delegates unanimously voted for the re-election of Zhanna Litvina to the position of the BAJ Chairperson. Also, there were re-elected two Deputies to the BAJ Chairperson - Andrei Bastunets and Tatsiana Melnichuk. Aliaksandr Starykevich and Alina Suravets were elected to fill in two more vacant positions of Deputies to the BAJ Chairperson.

Apart from the Chairperson and her Deputies, the newly elected BAJ Board includes Eduard Melnikau, Mikhail Pastukhou, Viachaslau Khadasouski, Siarhei Vazniak, Aliona Andreieva, Aliaksandr Klaskouski, Aliaksandr Tamkovich, and Uladzimir Dziuba.
The newly elected BAJ Council includes 39 people. All heads of the BAJ branches as well as such well-known journalists as Iulia Slutskaia, Sviatlana Kalinkina, Iury Karmanau, Anatol Huliaieu, Andrei Dynko and others have entered the Council.
There were elected new members of the BAJ Internal Audit Committee and the Ethics Committee at the Congress. The delegates adopted certain amendments to the BAJ Statute, in order to comply with the changed Belarusian legislature.

The BAJ Press Service