MINSK, 8 September (BelTA) – The main issues yet to be addressed in the course of the constitutional reform include the status and the formation of the Belarusian People's Congress, capital punishment, and the formation of the deputy corps, BelTA learned from the political analyst and a member of the Constitutional Commission Aleksandr Shpakovsky during the regional forum United Belarus. The forum took place in Minsk on 8 September and ended a series of similar meetings held all over the country.
Aleksandr Shpakovsky said: “The draft Constitution has already been presented before the head of state. But three issues have yet to be addressed. We suggest discussing them at a conference involving the president. Those are the status, principles of formation, and competences of the Belarusian People's Congress; the presence of capital punishment in Belarusian criminal laws; the right of worker collectives to nominate candidates for people's deputies. I've raised all these issues, including during meetings with representatives of the political core. Yes, I received some innovative ideas. And opinions regarding what our country's political elite wants, opinions regarding the vision of executives and leaders of opinions at the local level. Now we know and can more confidently share these opinions at the conference with the president.”
According to the expert, regional meetings with the political elite and a constructive dialogue are important for keeping the society together in conditions of political transformation of the society and processes relating to the constitutional reform. “All of it may result in the stabilization of the situation or the reverse if opponents exploit our errors and vulnerabilities,” Aleksandr Shpakovsky warned. He added a great deal has to be done to pacify things on the external contour.
The forum gathered about 600 participants in Minsk, including representatives of the parliament, the ideological vertical, the trade union movement, public associations and political parties. There were very many university students among the listeners. Prominent Belarusian political analysts, economists, and sociologists were invited to participate in the forum as experts.
