    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 42, Number 25 (Monday, June 26, 2006)]
    [Pages 1176-1177]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    Message to the Congress on Blocking Property of Certain Persons
    Undermining Democratic Processes or Institutions in Belarus

    June 19, 2006

    To the Congress of the United States:

        Consistent with subsection 204(b) of the International Emergency
    Economic Powers Act, 50 U.S.C. 1703(b)(IEEPA), and section 301 of the
    National Emergencies Act, 50 U.S.C. 1631 (NEA), I hereby report that I
    have issued an Executive Order (the ``order'') blocking the property of
    persons in connection with the situation in Belarus. In that order, I
    declared a national emergency with respect to the policies and actions
    of certain individuals in Belarus, to address the unusual and
    extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the
    United States posed by the actions and circumstances involving Belarus,
    as described below. This action follows the issuance of Proclamation
    8015 of May 12, 2006, ``Suspension of Entry as Immigrants and
    Nonimmigrants of Persons Responsible for Policies or Actions That
    Threaten the Transition to Democracy in Belarus,'' in which I determined
    that it is in the interest of the United States to suspend the entry
    into the United States of members of the government of Alyaksandr
    Lukashenka and others who formulate, implement, participate in, or
    benefit from policies or actions, including electoral fraud, human
    rights abuses, and corruption, that undermine or injure democratic
    institutions or impede the transition to democracy in Belarus.
        The United States, the European Union, and other allies and partners
    around the world have repeatedly expressed support for the democratic
    aspirations of the Belarusian people and condemned the Belarusian
    government's human rights abuses, assaults on democracy, and corruption.
    The Belarusian authorities have resorted to intense repression in an
    attempt to preserve their power, including the disappearances of four
    regime critics in 1999 and 2000, which the authorities have failed to
    investigate seriously despite credible information linking top
    government officials to these acts.
        The undemocratic 2006 presidential election was only the latest
    example of the Belarusian government's disregard for the rights of its
    own citizens. Hundreds of civic and opposition activists were arrested--
    and many beaten--both before and after the vote for exercising their
    rights. The authorities forcibly dispersed peaceful post-election
    demonstrations. There is simply no place in a Europe whole and free for
    a regime of this kind.
        The order also takes an important step in the fight against public
    corruption, which threatens important United States interests globally,
    including ensuring security and stability, the rule of law and core
    democratic values, advancing prosperity, and creating a

    [[Page 1177]]

    level playing field for lawful business activities. As noted in
    Proclamation 8015, the persistent acts of corruption by Belarusian
    government officials in the performance of public functions has played a
    significant role in frustrating the Belarusian people's aspirations for
    democracy. This order authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to block
    the assets of senior-level officials of the Government of Belarus, their
    family members, or those closely linked to such officials engaged in
    such corruption.
        Thus, pursuant to IEEPA and the NEA, I have determined that these
    actions and circumstances constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat
    to the national security and foreign policy of the United States, and I
    have issued the order to deal with this threat.
        The order blocks the property and interests in property in the
    United States, or in the possession or control of United States persons,
    of the persons listed in the Annex to the order, as well as of any
    person determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, after consultation
    with the Secretary of State:
     <bullet>    to be responsible for, or to have participated in, actions
                or policies that undermine democratic processes or
                institutions in Belarus;
     <bullet>    to be responsible for, or to have participated in, human
                rights abuses related to political repression in Belarus;
     <bullet>    to be a senior-level official, a family member of such
                official, or a person closely linked to such an official who
                is responsible for or has engaged in public corruption
                related to Belarus.
        The order also authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury, after
    consultation with the Secretary of State, to designate for such blocking
    any person determined to have materially assisted, sponsored, or
    provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or
    services in support of, the activities listed above or any person listed
    in or designated pursuant to the order. I further authorized the
    Secretary of the Treasury, after consultation with the Secretary of
    State, to designate for such blocking any person determined to be owned
    or controlled by, or acting or purporting to act for or on behalf of,
    directly or indirectly, any person listed in or designated pursuant to
    the order. The Secretary of the Treasury, after consultation with the
    Secretary of State, is also authorized to remove any persons from the
    Annex to the order as circumstances warrant.
        I delegated to the Secretary of the Treasury, after consultation
    with the Secretary of State, the authority to take such actions,
    including the promulgation of rules and regulations, and to employ all
    powers granted to the President by IEEPA, as may be necessary to carry
    out the purposes of the order. All executive agencies are directed to
    take all appropriate measures within their authority to carry out the
    provisions of the order.
        The order, a copy of which is enclosed, was effective at 12:01 a.m.
    eastern daylight time on June 19, 2006.
                                                    George W. Bush
    The White House,
    June 19, 2006.