Syamyon Sharetski

In this name that follows East Slavic naming customs, the patronymic is Georgiyevich and the family name is Sharetski.

Syamyon Georgiyevich Sharetski (Belarusian: Сямён Георгіевіч Шарэцкi, romanized: Siamion Hieorhijevič Šarecki, Russian: Семён Георгиевич Шарецкий, romanized: Semyon Georgiyevich Sharetsky; born 23 September 1936) is a Belarusian former agricultural scientist and politician. He was the last acting Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of Belarus.^[1]

Syamyon Sharetski
Сямён Шарэцкі
Acting President of Belarus Disputed with Alexander Lukashenko
In office 21 July 1999 – 22 July 1999
Preceded by	Alexander Lukashenko
Succeeded by	Alexander Lukashenko
Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Belarus
In office 10 January 1996 – 28 November 1996
President	Alexander Lukashenko
Preceded by	Myechyslaw Hryb
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Personal details
Born	Syamyon Georgiyevich Sharetski (1936-09-23) 23 September 1936 (age 89) Laurushava, Poland (now Belarus)
Political party	Agrarian Party

Early life and career

Sharetski was born in 1936 and studied agricultural economics at the Belarusian Agricultural Academy. In 1970 he joined the Central Committee of the Communist Party, where he enrolled in the Higher Party School. After graduating he taught at the school from 1970 to 1976.

After leaving his position as chairman of the Red Banner collective farm in 1993, he transitioned to a new role as an advisor to the Prime Minister of Belarus.

Political career

During the leadup to the 1996 Belarusian referendum Sharetski emerged as among the leaders of the opposition, which viewed President Alexander Lukashenko, the main backer of the referendum, as centralising authority in his own hands. Along with the Supreme Court, Sharetski led the Supreme Council in opposing Lukashenko's efforts to overhaul the constitution. Sharetski ultimately accepted the proposed referendum following a diplomatic intervention by Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin.^[2]

On 21 July 1999, when the 1995–1999 ended, deputies of the Supreme Council who remained faithful of the 1994 Constitution of Belarus (but actually out of power) appointed Sharetski acting President of the Republic of Belarus.

Exile

From 1999-2001 he lived in Vilnius, Lithuania, where he was treated as a representative of the legitimate power of Belarus. Since 2001 he lives in the US, where he was given a status of political refugee.^[3][4]