MINSK, 21 October (BelTA) – An amnesty can change lives of many convicts for the better, and the state is giving them such a chance, Chairman of the House of Representatives Vladimir Andreichenko said following a preliminary debate of the provisions of the bill “On amnesty in connection with the Day of People's Unity” that was held in the Oval Hall on 21 October, BelTA has learned.
“We have given everyone the opportunity to speak. In conclusion, I would like to thank the drafters of the bill, the speakers, and, of course, all the participants in the debate, as well as the commission that was in charge of preparations for this debate. We have heard different, sometimes conflicting points of view on the amnesty and I think we have once again seen that the decision we have to make is really difficult and responsible,” said Vladimir Andreichenko. “Of course, an amnesty can change lives of many convicts for the better. Let me remind you that the amnesty is supposed to cover about 8,000 people. And the state should give them such a chance. However, I emphasize that all-forgiveness and manipulations regarding this topic are unacceptable, because this all-forgiveness will prompt unrepentant people to believe that they can get away with anything and most importantly, that the state is weak and law enforcement agencies are unable to maintain law and order in the country. We must not allow this kind of attitude,” Vladimir Andreichenko said.
All the suggestions and remarks were taken on board, the speaker noted. “Therefore, I will ask the speakers and participants in the debate to submit their proposals to the National Security Commission. We will scrutinize them and later discuss them at a meeting of the commission,” he stressed. “We can discuss this matter endlessly, but our voters, citizens are waiting for our decision. Therefore we need to bring it to fruition,” he added.
The event was attended by representatives of government bodies, public associations, political parties and members of the public.
