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Bill on people’s militia passes second reading in Belarus

MINSK, 15 June (BelTA) – The bill “On people’s militia” passed the second reading at the meeting of the ninth session of the House of Representatives of the seventh convocation on 15 June, BelTA has learned.

The bill was submitted to the House of Representatives by the Council of Ministers. The document passed the first reading on 31 May. The document lays out legal grounds for Belarus’ citizens, foreign nationals and stateless persons permanently residing in the country to voluntarily participate in ensuring the observance of martial law in Belarus.

In particular, the bill defines the terms “people’s militia”, “people’s militia unit” and “people’s militia volunteer”. It regulates general issues related to financial and material support for people’s militia, restrictions on serving in people’s militia, as well as the way people’s militia units should be run. It also sets forth procedures related to formation, recruitment and deployment of people’s militia units, their tasks, the powers of government agencies and officials in regulating activities of people’s militia.

The Council of Ministers shall determine the scope of measures to create people’s militia in peacetime by local executive and administrative bodies, the procedure for the formation (disbandment) of people’s militia, recruitment and keeping records of volunteers, their joining and leaving of people’s militia. The bill establishes the rights and responsibilities, legal and social security guarantees for volunteers.

During the preparation of the bill for its second reading, it was supplemented with a provision establishing the authority of local executive and administrative bodies and local defense councils to notify employers about the enlistment of workers in the militia. The provision on the necessity to notify the employer of joining the people's militia was excluded from the volunteer's duties.

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