Opinions & Interviews

Lukashenko explains why Belarusian People’s Congress should be formalized in Constitution

MINSK, 25 November (BelTA) –  It is necessary to formalize the status of the Belarusian People’s Congress in the new Constitution, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he spoke at a joint meeting of the Constitutional Commission and the working group on finalizing the new Constitution draft on 25 November, BelTA informs.

“The key amendments to the fundamental law seek to significantly strengthen people’s rule. With this in mind it was proposed to formalize the status of the Belarusian People’s Congress in the Constitution and give it powers that are strategically important for maintaining stability in the country. As I have said more than once, the Belarusian People’s Congress is our veche [a popular assembly in medieval Slavic countries]. I believe that this institution of people’s rule chimes in with centuries-old traditions and the way of life of Belarusians,” he said.

“Probably, the recent events have convinced not only all of you, but also the Belarusian people, especially skeptics, that we should not blindly embrace the principles, norms, way of life [of Western countries]. You saw that they declare one thing, want us to do another thing, while they are doing ... You have seen what they are doing,” the president noted.

Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed that the Belarusian People’s Congress is not new to Belarus. “It just belongs to the Constitution,” he said. “And it’s not about personalities. I emphasize that the Constitution should not mention any specific personalities. Lukashenko is not amending the Constitution for himself.”

At the same time, Belarus will remain a presidential republic, Aleksandr Lukashenko noted. “This way we will defend the foundations of our statehood. We will preserve and strengthen the continuity of our historical experience. But let’s be frank, and I will say this publicly today: everything will depend on what kind of president will replace the incumbent head of state. Therefore, we will back ourselves up with the Belarusian People’s Congress. You see that the situation around us has not become easier and calmer,” the head of state said.

The president emphasized that Belarus is at the crossroads of all roads, at the intersection of interests of the West and the East, and each of the parties has its own goals to achieve. Therefore, they will not let Belarus live a quiet life, even if you decide to follow them, kneel down in front of them, the head of state is convinced. “The situation will not be calm, because the main road passes through our territory,” the Belarusian leader said. In this regard, he recalled that Belarus was dragged into numerous wars, including World War II, by other countries that pursued their own interests.

“The Lord gave us this piece of land, and we can’t go anywhere else, we need to make sure that the country’s ten million population and a couple of million foreigners who come here every year can live a normal life on this piece of land. Therefore, a lot will depend on individuals, including the country’s top official, though I do not want to exaggerate our role and my role in history. We will remain in history. At the very least, we have created our own independent sovereign state, which has existed for more than a quarter of a century,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

Moreover, this state should continue for future generations, the president is convinced. “Our children should inherit a normal, manageable country and a state,” the Belarusian leader said. “We need to convince people that today the main thing for our society as a whole is to preserve our statehood, not to pursue their personal interests,” he added.

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