Bill on Belarusian People's Congress passes second reading

MINSK, 25 January (BelTA) – The bill “On the Belarusian People's Congress” passed the second reading at the meeting of the ninth session of the House of Representatives of the seventh convocation on 25 January, BelTA has learned.

The bill “On the Belarusian People's Congress” was submitted to the House of Representatives by MP Svetlana Lyubetskaya. The author's version of the bill passed the first reading and was finalized by the Standing Commission on Legislation of the House of Representatives taking into account remarks and proposals of those interested.

“The Belarusian People's Congress was given a constitutional status as a result of the national referendum. Thus, the bill “On the Belarusian People's Congress” was developed in order to bring legislation into line with the amendments approved at the referendum,” Chairperson of the Standing Commission on Legislation Svetlana Lyubetskaya told reporters.

The bill has not undergone significant changes. It lays out a detailed description of the formation procedure and powers of the Belarusian People's Congress, the principles and organizational aspects of its work, mechanisms for handling issues within the scope of reference of the Belarusian People's Congress.

“The remarks and proposals that were received prior to the second reading were carefully studied. As a result of a broad and meaningful discussion, we clarified the rules of operation of the Belarusian People's Congress and specified in more detail its individual powers. It goes without saying that the Belarusian People's Congress delegates shall comply with the anti-corruption legislation, as they are entrusted with such a high status and authorized to make strategic decisions. Such provisions were also included in the bill. The bill was also supplemented with the provisions regulating the procedure to put forward initiatives by the Belarusian People's Congress, including legislative initiative,” the parliamentarian noted.

The bill also incorporated provisions allowing the Belarusian People's Congress to establish memorable dates. It also specified the procedure to handle issues related to state awards of the Republic of Belarus. It also clarified some organizational matters, including reimbursement of accommodation and travel expenses of delegates of the Belarusian People's Congress. Taking into account the constitutional and legal status of the Belarusian People's Congress and the importance of the decisions it makes, it is planned to extend anti-corruption rules to the Belarusian People's Congress delegates. When finalizing the bill, some operational issues were also clarified.

Before getting the second reading, the bill was sent to all standing commissions of the House of Representatives that were supposed to contribute their views on the document. All the necessary approvals and studies were undertaken.