MINSK, 3 May (BelTA) - The Belarusian model of democracy has proved its worth and has become a consolidating factor in the construction of a sovereign and independent Belarus, said Nikolai Shchekin, Candidate of Philosophy, Head of the Sociology of Public Administration Department at the Sociology Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus.
“In the context of the ongoing debates in the country about civil society, the development of the party system, the redistribution of powers between the branches of government we should remember the main task, namely the preservation of sovereignty and independence of Belarus. All transformations must pursue one goal - improving quality of life and cultivating fair relations in the society. The National Assembly plays a special place in state construction. Many have noticed that the parliament has been able to develop a universal mechanism of interaction with citizens and state-public organizations,” Nikolai Shchekin noted. “The Council of the Republic and the House of Representatives have become not only dialogue platforms but also think-tanks to discuss various issues and take decisions on them, which is already yielding impressive results."
Nikolai Shchekin stressed that the speakers of the upper and lower houses set the tone for a new parliamentary culture - senator and deputy – “legislator- trailblazer”. "Secondly, the efforts to strengthen the state foundations and to develop civil initiatives have generated new legislative activity reflecting the real situation. Thirdly, people's trust in the government bodies is growing. The explanation is simple: senators and MPs live by people's concerns. We should also talk about mutual responsibility of citizens and MPs. The seemingly invisible work (without revolutions and populism) of the parliament has changed the entire political landscape in the country,” the expert said.
According to him, the Council of the Republic and the House of Representatives show vigor, dynamism, effectiveness, and involvement in all spheres of life. “Working proactively for the sake of people and the state has become a signature feature of the National Assembly. When communicating with senators and MPs, you can see their interest in the ongoing processes, and also a special view of the historical role of the Belarusian model of development, the role of the first president in the state construction and the desire to build a society of justice. Meetings of Natalya Kochanova and Vladimir Andreichenko with youth organizations (set up at the initiative of the chairperson of the Council of the Republic), labor groups, public associations, and also round tables and seminars of the highest level inspire respect and pride. The topics discussed are not simple. They are important for the Belarusian society. Among them are historical traditions and memory, youth policy, the formation and ways of development of the Belarusian statehood, strategies and scenarios for the formation of the Belarusian model,” Nikolai Shchekin said.
Nikolai Shchekin pointed out that members of the Council of the Republic and the House of Representatives are willing to listen to people. “I am sure that Belarusian citizens view MPs as professional and sincere representatives of the authorities who are interested in helping solve people's problems. The National Assembly has chosen the right strategy – to keep track of the public opinion, monitoring the social structure of the Belarusian society with the help of work at the local level and analyzing possible scenarios and prospects. I would call it parliamentary sociology. In my opinion, we need some time to understand fully the role of the National Assembly and the chairpersons of its chambers in protecting the country from the real threat of a coup. The parliament has passed a historical exam and has become the truly people's parliament,” Nikolai Shchekin believes. “On the one hand, no one denies that there is still a lot of work to fine-tune the parliament as an institute of power (there are many unresolved issues in this field). On the other hand, our accomplishments demonstrate that it is already mature and efficient. The Belarusian parliament reflects our national interests and will not adapt itself to the wishes of the collective West. The Belarusian model of democracy has proven effective and has become a unifying element in building sovereign and independent Belarus. Those who cannot or do not want to understand this due to some insecurities or out of profit-seeking should step aside and do not get in the way of history,” he added.
