BELARUSAN PRIME MINISTER DENIES RESIGNATION RUMORS…

Prime minister Syarhey Linh on July 29 denied earlier reports that he had tendered his resignation to president Alyaksandr Lukashenka. Linh did not explain why he kept silent before issuing this denial. He told journalists that he supports Lukashenka’s "correctly chosen economic strategy," whose main elements Linh listed as: "reinforcement of the state’s role in price formation," targeted financing of enterprises by the government, and preservation of the state and collective farming system. (Russian agencies, July 29) The timing and context of the statement suggest that Linh may have been induced or pressured into staying in office and retracting objections to the president’s policies. Only eight months ago Linh’s predecessor as prime minister, Mikhail Chyhir, embarrassed Lukashenka by quitting in protest.

…While President Feels Opposition’s Pressure.