Opinions & Interviews
Lukashenko in favor of new Constitution
MINSK, 1 March (BelTA) – Belarus should adopt a new Constitution, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said as he met with community leaders, experts, Belarusian and foreign media on 1 March, BelTA has learned.
“I believe that we will have to adopt a new Constitution,” Alexander Lukashenko said. The head of state added that “this should be done not because the Constitutional Court or some group of people want it. First and foremost, we should take care of the needs of the country in general, our people and the future generations,” he suggested.
The president explained that the matter will be dealt with by judges of the Constitutional Court, because, in his view, they are the most competent and experienced professionals, lawyers. “Frankly speaking, I gave this instruction, but I do not know how things are going there. I am convinced that the judges of the Constitutional Court are very responsible people and they are working on it. However, they have not put forward any suggestions to me yet. I think they will do it soon,” the head of state said.
“You must admit that much will depend on me when it comes to the new Constitution. I believe that we will have to pass a new Constitution. Maybe, we will have to enhance other branches of power: executive, legislative. Maybe, after a thorough analysis we might have to overhaul the election system and decide whether we should introduce the proportional representation or stay with the majority voting system. This will be easy to do, as it has already been done by Russia, Kazakhstan and other countries – we will study their practices,” he said.
The president said: “I swear that this Constitution will not be forced. This will not happen. Everything will be absolutely fair because no one else is more interested in things going well in the future, and I do not want people to blame me. I want the Constitution to conform to those realities that we will have in our country in the future.”
“Any sensible president is thinking about this at a time he decides to end his political career. This is the most important issue. You would call it the transit of power. I see it in a wider context. I see it through the prism of what will become of Belarus and who will be the next to take the lead,” Alexander Lukashenko said. “This is a very difficult, very complicated and very important issue for all,” he added.
The head of state also answered the question as to the time frame the new Constitution can be adopted. “I think it will not take five years. It will be a much shorter period. These two years when we have parliamentary and presidential elections is not the good time for changing the electoral laws, for improving or reforming, as they say, them, especially the Constitution. It is not just my opinion. In no event it is possible. We need to conduct the elections in a calm way and get things we talked about done,” he said.
The head of state does not see it as a priority. In his view, “it is important to keep stability, security, peace in society, increase people's wellbeing not to feel shame in the face of our children.”
“Maybe, during the presidential campaign, if I decide to take part in it, I will have to say more concrete things about this new Constitution. But I would like to have suggestions from specialists first. I would like to have the version of the constitution as the basis on which we can work further together. We will think together on the basic law,” the head of state said.
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