LIDA, 2 November (BelTA) - The preparation of the draft law on the Belarusian People's Congress was as open as possible, Chairman of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly Vladimir Andreichenko said at the seminar to discuss the legal framework for the Belarusian People's Congress and the improvement of the electoral legislation that was held in Lida, Grodno Oblast on 2 November, BelTA has learned.
“The House of Representatives kicked off the work on the bill on the Belarusian People's Congress right after the constitutional referendum. A lot of work was done. Most importantly it was as open as possible. Working on the document were MPs, members of the Constitutional Commission, representatives of the judiciary, civil society, scientists, and experts,” said Vladimir Andreichenko.
The bill was discussed at the presidential level twice, said the speaker. “Such attention of the head of state to the matter can be explained by the importance for the Congress to ensure the inviolability of the constitutional system and thus become a reliable support for both the people and the authorities. Together, with the help of the people, any obstacle can be overcome and any difficult situation can be resolved. This conviction of the Belarusian president is shared by the MPs. MPs took part in the work of the dialogue platforms of different levels, held information meetings in the labor collectives to explain the norms of the draft law. During the last week alone, about 150 such events were held across Belarus, following the instructions of the head of state,” he added.
The Belarusian People's Congress will be responsible for key issues of the social and political life of the country, which, in fact, no one will be able to solve after the elections of 2024 without it, stressed Vladimir Andreichenko. “For example, the Congress will form the judicial branch of government, determine the directions of the country's domestic and foreign policy, approve the Military Doctrine, and declare martial law. I think there is no need to explain how important these issues are in the current situation. In addition, those who do not like the independent policy of Belarus are sure to use the elections. Provocations accompany every election campaign we run. This time it is unlikely to be different. We must be prepared for it. A lot, if not everything, will depend on our ability to act in a coordinated, organized and responsible way. In preparing amendments to the Electoral Code, this was one of the objectives we pursued. First of all it concerns the powers of the Central Election Commission, the order of its formation and some other provisions,” he said.
The draft laws “On Amendments to the Electoral Code of the Republic of Belarus” and “On the Belarusian People's Congress” have been submitted for public debate. The House of Representatives is the organizer of the debate on the draft law “On the Belarusian People's Congress”. MPs are taking an active part in the work of dialogue platforms of various levels, holding information meetings in labor collectives to explain the provisions of the bills. Some 140 such events have taken place. The comments and suggestions of the participants of the public dialogue will be taken into account during the preparation of the draft law for the first reading at the current session of the House of Representatives. The discussion process is to end with a seminar in Lida on 2 November.
