Government should be honest, open and accessible to all citizens, emphasises President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko on meeting members of the Council of the House of Representatives at the National Assembly

Deputies have really good venue for interesting dialogue

By Vladimir Khromov

Government should be honest, open and accessible to all citizens, emphasises President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko on meeting members of the Council of  the House of Representatives at  the National Assembly

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The formation of legal framework for Eurasian Economic Union is the task for deputies


The meeting with the MPs was held prior to the opening of the fifth session of the House of Representatives of the fifth convocation. The President remarked that Parliament’s work has created stable lawmaking traditions, securing a uniform legal base, and raising society’s awareness of the law. Over the last two years, members of the current-convocation Parliament have adopted nearly 200 legal acts. Moreover, many important international documents have been ratified in the Oval Hall.

The President remarked that much work is still needed, including improvements to legislation, and underlined that economic modernisation should be a legislative priority. “Many say that modernisation is not an option, since no money is available, but we cannot postpone our enterprises’ modernisation and improvement until tomorrow,” noted the President. “Modernisation is vital for survival, so that we can compete and sell our goods.”

Mr. Lukashenko noted that the 2015 budget bill is soon to be passed. “As far as I understand, the Government and Parliament are working on the bill, as we’ve agreed. I’d very much like us to approach this bill seriously; we cannot afford a wasteful budget, having no money to spare. We must count every cent,” said the Head of State.
The President noted that, from 2015, the Belarusian economy will operate under Eurasian Economic Union conditions. “We’ll have to work on ratifying the relevant international agreements quite soon. Your task is to use all parliamentary instruments to help pass legislation for the Eurasian Economic Union, while safeguarding our interests,” he stressed.
Mr. Lukashenko underlined that members of Parliament should find a healthy balance between legislative stability and allowing society to operate in a dynamic fashion. He believes that, as bills are processed by relevant commissions, MPs must understand how the law will be adopted and implemented.

“Our legal framework is more or less ready. It’s time to make laws that meet more than the needs of today; they should be verified for their practical value,” underlined the President. “The law should not use multiple references, so that problems are shifted to elsewhere — such as to the government or local executives.”

According to the Head of State, Parliament is an ideal platform for sincere public dialogue on the most acute topics. “Parliamentary hearings should be more widely implemented, with long-standing problems discussed at meetings with Government members. Make announcements to the media and use the Internet more actively,” the President has suggested.

Mr. Lukashenko also remarked that every deputy in the House of Representatives should try to help colleagues, while local councils should put forward proposals, as well as offering advice and support.

The MPs told the President about the main areas of focus for the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus for the forthcoming period. Participants drew special attention to social and economic legislation, and to the use of parliamentary diplomacy to enhance Belarus’ co-operation with other countries and international organisations.

In their speeches, parliamentarians raised a number of burning issues, to which the Head of State gave detailed and sincere responses. The Parliament’s work on the Eurasian Economic Union Treaty came under discussion, with the Chairman of the House of Representatives, Vladimir Andreichenko, noting, “We understand all the advantages of economic integration, provided that national interests are observed unconditionally. However, the media is reporting that the Russian Federation intends to amend its taxation regulations for the oil industry. This would reduce revenue for Belarus’ state budget, worsening the financial and economic situation for Belarusian oil-processing enterprises.”

Mr. Lukashenko replied, “You’ve raised a very important issue concerning ‘tax manoeuvres’ on the part of the Russian Federation. These are tied to the ratification of our treaty.” He added that, at the time of signing the Eurasian Economic Union Treaty, he stated that Belarus’ accession to the organisation would be on condition of there being national benefits. “We have to gain something; I do not mean money from Russia but the taking of steps to benefit us. Otherwise, why would we join?”

The restoration of Belarus’ special guest status on the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly sends clear signals regarding others’ readiness to conduct dialogue. However, the President warns that we should proceed with caution, being careful not to take on obligations which we cannot fulfil. He believes reasonable mutual compromises will be necessary.

Speaking of international contacts, Mr. Lukashenko noted that Belarus is respected for its steady policy and its keeping of promises. In his opinion, co-operation with China is a good example. “They like our reliability so, if we wobble or, God forbid, say one thing and do another, we will lose face. Our reputation on the international arena is hard won, so we must go this way — whether others like it or not,” said the President.

Another topic high on the agenda was that of Russia’s embargo on the import of food products from a number of countries. The deputies questioned whether this would affect the domestic market and lead to price rises but the President endeavoured to calm their fears, noting that no difficulties are yet obvious and, if they should occur, Belarus is permitted by interstate agreements to import food for its own use, while exporting Belarusian-made goods to Russia.

The deputies spoke much of legislative provision in the social direction, with Mr. Lukashenko asserting that all social support should encourage people towards independence, rather than reliance upon benefits.

Parliament is clearly ready to begin work, with a clear understanding of the agenda and ways forward to solve particular tasks.
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