MINSK, 10 June (BelTA) - The work on information support of the local authorities should be conducted in a way that people would understand that they are not alone with their problems and that they are heard, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said at the national seminar-conference to discuss new methods and forms of public communication at the grassroots level, BelTA has learned.
The head of state noted that the local authorities have learned to work in tandem with regional journalists. “This does not mean that the regional newspapers have to become a rostrum or a board of honor of the chairperson of the district executive committee. They should be interesting for the readers and write about the region, the district executive committee, and the country in general. Sometimes however, opening an issue, all you see are ads, TV programs and even those of Polish TV channels,” the Belarusian leader said.
“Most importantly, all the work on information support of the local authorities should be carried out so that people would understand that they are not alone in their problems, that we hear them,” stressed Aleksandr Lukashenko.
In this regard, he mentioned the high activity of citizens during the dialogue platforms in Belarus to discuss constitutional reform. All in all, there were over 3,000 meetings held in three months and they were attended by 150,000 people. “We saw genuine interest and the effect was terrific - the turnout at the referendum aimed at creation,” the president said.
He is sure that this form of work with the population should be developed further, because it allows the public to feel involvement in decision-making, and this is how the responsibility for their implementation comes. “I am convinced that we have found a format of work that is here to stay, only if we avoid formalism (and we still have a lot of it). Therefore, organize platforms and discuss issues relevant to the population, such as healthcare, vaccination, landscaping, water supply, trade, waste collection and recycling,” the Belarusian leader said.
The president believes that the participation of experts and specialists who will be able to give qualified answers is a must at such dialogue platforms. Today there are a lot of experts whose opinion has won high prestige in society. Vladimir Pertsov, Olga Shpilevskaya, Ivan Eismont, Marat Markov are just are just to name a few, the Belarusian leader said. “They work really well. They have already learned not only to respond to the situation, but also to fight back to all the propaganda, protecting their own people. These people should be invited to the companies to meet the staff, to the dialogue platforms, but directors, chairpersons should also be present there to speak how the company, the district and will develop,” said Aleksandr Lukashenko.
“You should speak to people,” the Belarusian leader said.
