MINSK, 14 May (BelTA) – Proposals have been made to prohibit dual mandate in Belarus, Chairman of the Constitutional Court Piotr Miklashevich said today during a meeting of the Constitutional Commission in Minsk on 14 May, BelTA has learned.
"Based on the constitutional principle of separation of powers, it is necessary to exclude from Article 3.92 of the Constitution a second sentence stipulating that a member of the House of Representatives can simultaneously hold a seat in the government and to formalize this ban in the Constitution," Piotr Miklashevich said.
The commission has supported the idea of limiting the MP's ability to work in the executive branch, said Valery Mitskevich, Deputy Chairman of the House of Representatives, a member of the Constitutional Commission. “First of all, it is quite difficult to handle two jobs and perform the duties well. Most importantly, it violates the principle of separation of powers. Who is going to hold a minister to account if he also has a seat in Parliament?" he said.
A proposal has been submitted to ban MPs from owning real estate abroad. "Such restrictions are imposed in many states. This is a way to minimize the influence of different forces from abroad on the government, in this case on Members of Parliament,” Valery Mitskevich noted. "This proposal is under discussion. It's not that simple. For example, an MP may inherit a real estate, for example, in Ukraine from his/her parents? Therefore, if we introduce such restrictions, we need to prescribe mechanisms of the implementation."
The Constitutional Commission held its fourth meeting on 14 May. The commission considered proposals to amend the constitutional provisions on the functions and powers of the parliament - the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus.
