Sergeyenko: Proposals on Belarus' Constitution draft can be sent to any government agency

MINSK, 28 December (BelTA) – Views on the new Belarus' Constitution draft can be submitted to any government agency, Head of the Belarus President Administration Igor Sergeyenko told reporters, BelTA has learned.

“The next stage of work on the Constitution draft is about to begin. The bill was posted on the president's website, the website of the National Center for Legal Information, BelTA,” Igor Sergeyenko noted.

According to him, on 28 December the proposed amendments and additions to the Constitution will be put out for national discussion in the country's leading print media, including SB. Belarus Segodnya, Respublika, Zvyazda newspapers. “This will be done to introduce our people to these amendments and enable them to contribute their views. The proposals will be accepted by all government agencies of our country, including the Belarus President Administration, the government, the parliament, regional executive committees,” Igor Sergeyenko said.

He specified that the National Center for Legal Information will be responsible for processing and analysis of all incoming proposals. The center will then select the most meaningful proposals. “These will be expert views, proposals by the general public, by people who care about the future of our country,” the head of the administration noted.

Igor Sergeyenko emphasized that the amendments and additions to the Constitution did not come out of nowhere, but were developed taking into account the current situation, new challenges and threats. “They also took on board the proposals put forward by people at dialogue platforms, views of the expert community,” he said.

According to Igor Sergeyenko, the Constitution draft was developed in the spirit of the current Constitution, although changes were made to all sections of the Constitution.

The proposed amendments and additions retained a social focus. “Belarus will continue to be a unitary, democratic, rule-of-law and welfare state,” Igor Sergeyenko said.

Listing some of the changes to the Constitution draft, the head of the Belarus President Administration highlighted the preservation of historical memory and heroic deeds of the Belarusian people during the Great Patriotic War and the post-war period. The Constitution draft defines in greater detail such notions as family and marriage, as well as benefits for the elderly, disabled people, and the youth.

In addition, certain changes were proposed for the political system, the electoral system, and the Constitutional Court. Naturally, much attention was paid to the Belarusian People's Congress that was proposed to get a constitutional status. This is a new body. It was necessary to specify in more detail the powers and responsibilities of the congress and the way delegates are elected,” Igor Sergeyenko said.

He noted that the Constitution draft offers a synopsis of all issues, and in the future, certain amendments and additions will be set out in greater detail in other legislative acts. The bill also contains transitional provisions that, among other things, will determine how the political system changes if the updated Constitution is adopted.

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