Posted: 02.02.2022 11:15:00

Important period of preparation for the referendum

Natalya Kochanova summed up the work of the Council of the Republic on the preparation of the draft Constitution

Natalya Kochanova
Natalya Kochanova, Speaker of the Upper House of the Parliament, spoke about the forthcoming referendum and the work on the updated draft Constitution in her speech at the opening of the extraordinary session of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly. After all, the senators themselves played a significant role in adjusting the Basic Law of the country. Here are the details, “The members of the Council of the Republic themselves made about 100 proposals to improve the Basic Law. A number of these proposals are included in the draft amendments and additions to the Constitution, submitted to the republican referendum. In particular, we have proposed a single voting day for the election of deputies at all levels, work in the format of one session per year, a separate ‘youth’ article that encourages young people to be responsible for the future of the country and is evidence of the state’s high confidence in them.”
Natalya Kochanova also spoke about the results of the work of the public reception at the Council of the Republic, where everyone could make proposals regarding changes to the Constitution, “In five days, we received 127 citizens and ten initiative groups, more than 500 proposals were received. This is a serious number, given that more than ten thousand proposals were collected in the republic as a whole within the framework of public discussions. Since the beginning of public discussions, members of the Council of the Republic have taken part in 227 events, including 115 meetings with labour collectives, 52 dialogue platforms and six discussion platforms, 15 public receptions, 34 meetings. As a result of the activities, about 16,000 people were covered.

At the seventh extraordinary session of the Upper House of Parliament

As our President rightly noted, in no state in the world has the public been so deeply involved in the process of discussing and improving the provisions of the Constitution. Indeed, this is our Belarusian innovation and a true manifestation of democracy.”
The constitutional referendum, Natalya Kochanova concluded, is a crucial period for all authorities, “We need to take an active part in the preparation and conduct of such an important political campaign. 
The referendum must be held at a high organisational level, in full compliance with the Constitution and the current electoral legislation.”

The draft Constitution incorporates the main postulates of the national idea and the Belarusian development model

Vladimir Andreichenko
Last week in Minsk, in accordance with the Decree of the President of January 24th, the seventh extraordinary session of the House of Representatives and the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the seventh convocation began its work. According to the Chairman of the House of Representatives, Vladimir Andreichenko, the preparation of the draft of the updated Constitution was carried out as openly as possible, “In fact, the text of the changes is the proposals of the citizens themselves, expressed at the dialogue platforms, during the Belarusian People’s Congress. We saw sincere interest in the proposed constitutional innovations everywhere.
People have learned to distinguish real patriots from demagogues; they have understood the true value of those empty promises that would lead the country to disaster.”
Director of the National Centre for Legislation and Legal Studies Vadim Ipatov told the deputies in more detail about the results of the public discussion of the draft amendments and additions to the Basic Law. According to him, a balanced draft of the Constitution, which has undergone a unique study, is submitted to the referendum, “The very text of the Constitution carries a significant ideological potential, absorbing the main postulates of the national idea and the Belarusian model of development.
These are democracy, a strong, efficient and responsible welfare state, a diversified economy, traditional values, family support, patriotism, the preservation of historical truth and the memory of the heroic deed of the Belarusian people during the Great Patriotic War.”
Vadim Ipatov dwelled on some of the provisions of the Basic Law that caused the most lively discussions in society. In particular, there were proposals from citizens not to limit the tenure of the President to two terms, “It is clear that such a position is caused by the patriotic impulse of citizens and is due to the positive experience of the development of the presidential republic in Belarus since 1994.

Before the meeting of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus of the seventh convocation

However, this proposal [on the limitation of terms] is an initiative of the Head of State, who has repeatedly stressed that the Constitution is a document of future generations. The powers of the incumbent President reflect the uniqueness of the personality of Aleksandr Lukashenko as the architect of modern Belarusian statehood. Further development of the political system and national statehood will require additional balances in the power system. This will naturally lead to a redistribution of powers between its branches, as well as to the introduction of additional restrictive mechanisms, which include, among other things, the maximum number of presidential terms.”

Belarusians continue active discussion of amendments and additions to the Basic Law of the country

During the meeting with the leadership of the Shklov District, representatives of organisations, deputies and public associations, Chairman of the Mogilev Region Executive Committee Anatoly Isachenko noted the high interest of people in constitutional reform, “A socio-survey conducted in early January of this year [on the study of topical issues of socio-economic and socio-political situations in the Mogilev Region] shows that the majority of survey participants — 81.6 percent — consider it necessary to amend the Basic Law, 84.5 per cent of the respondents decided to take part in the referendum.”

Changes and additions to the Constitution are being discussed at the dialogue platforms countrywide

“The current Constitution has fulfilled its purpose — the strong state power has created conditions for the development of the economy, this system has withstood external and internal challenges, but a lot has changed in a quarter of a century,” said Anatoly Isachenko. “As the standard of living rises, people always want more. Therefore, in order to carry out social policy, we need a strong economy that cannot work without a stable state. The basis of this stability is the Constitution.”

OPINIONS
Maria Korchik, 3rd year student of the Faculty of Biotechnology of the Vitebsk State Academy of Veterinary Medicine:
Amendments and additions to the Constitution were widely discussed at round tables and dialogue platforms. Lectures were held for first-year students, where they told what the Basic Law of the country is, as well as the history of its adoption. The youth is well aware that it is us — today’s students, tomorrow’s specialists — who will have to live according to the Constitution that the Belarusian people will adopt at the referendum. It is safe to say that each of our students will go to the referendum with the awareness of responsibility for the future of the country and their future. I will also vote for the new Constitution, because I care about our common tomorrow.

Vyacheslav Lyusik, entrepreneur, Gomel:
There are people who argue: the referendum does not decide anything, it makes no sense to go to the vote. In my opinion, it was precisely because of this approach that we almost lost the country, when many preferred to sit on the sidelines and observe the destructive processes that took place in 2020. But if it was possible to refer to the political inexperience and gullibility of citizens then, now those who discredit the process of adopting a new version of the Constitution are conscious saboteurs.
The majority should not be passive. I believe that the amendments proposed in the Constitution will be able to consolidate the society. At the same time, the limitation of the number of presidential terms and the new status of the Belarusian People’s Congress will help Belarusians avoid mistakes in building the future of our state. The constitution needs to be changed. The Basic Law, which was adopted in the 1990s, was based on the realities of that period of the country’s history. Times have changed — and now a new course is needed. Belarusians have learned a lot over the past two years. The document, for which we will vote, has collected proposals from various segments of the population. I myself will certainly come to vote on February 27th. For me, voting is a civic duty and a confirmation of my solidarity with the vision of the future of Belarus, which will be spelled out in the updated Constitution.

Based on materials of sb.by
Photos by Vitaly Pivovarchik and Yury Mozolevsky