Stanislav Shushkevich
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Stanislav Stanislavovich Shushkevich (Belarusian: Станісла́ў Станісла́вавіч Шушке́віч; Stanisłaŭ Stanisłavavič Šuškievič) (b. December 15, 1934) was the head of the Belarus parliament (Chairman (Speaker) of the Supreme Soviet of the Belarus) 1991-1994. He supported free market reforms and played a key role in the creation of the Commonwealth of Independent States.
Before presidency he was a prominent Belarusian scientist, a corresponding member of the Belarusian Academy of Sciences, Doctor in Physics and Mathematics, professor, an author of award-winning textbooks, over 150 articles and 50 inventions, recipient of various state awards.
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.
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 speaker of the parliament 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 Vyacheslav Kebich, a Communist.
Further investigation revealed that 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 the most unusal court case. Shushkevich sued the Belarusian Social Security Ministry: because of inflation his retirement pension of a former head of the state constituted 1 dollar 80 cents monthly.
In 2004 he attempted to participate in parliamentary elections to the Lukashenka's "parliament", but was refused registeration by the electoral commission on some petty excuses.be:Станіслаў Шушкевіч de:Stanislau Schuschkjewitsch ja:スタニスラフ・シュシケビッチ pl:Stanisław Szuszkiewicz