About a mature nation, fulfilled promises and confidence in the future

The President of Belarus spoke about the main things on Constitution Day

The Head of State, Aleksandr Lukashenko, held a meeting on March 15th, dedicated to the 30th anniversary of Belarus’ Constitution. The large-scale event at the Palace of Independence was attended by judges of the Constitutional Court, persons who contributed to the formation of sovereign Belarus, representatives of political parties and public organisations, parliamentary deputies, scientists.

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Aleksandr Lukashenko made a speech at the event, in which he touched upon the historical foundations of the Belarusian constitutional legislation and its current stage, outlined the accomplishments of sovereign Belarus and emphasised its independent path of development.
“Thirty years ago on this day, the countdown of a new stage in the history of modern Belarus — sovereign and politically independent — began. It was then that the fundamental legal foundations for the development of our state and society were laid. The Constitution of the Republic of Belarus became our beacon, a truly people’s state-forming document, which was especially evident during our referendums,” the Head of State stressed. 
According to the President, each of those present at the event directly or indirectly participated over the years in the development and improvement of the first and only Constitution of sovereign Belarus, as well as in the implementation of its provisions in all areas of state and public life. 
“I have a careful attitude to continuity and have always said that there is no nation and no state without traditions. It is a matter of continuity of the national history and the preservation of the cultural code. More specifically, it is a matter of our sacred connection with the previous generations and those who will come after us. Belarus may be a young state, but Belarusians are an absolutely mature nation. It is impossible to dispute this status, nor deny the fact that our Constitution embodies the achievements of many eras,” the Belarusian leader noted.
Aleksandr Lukashenko is convinced, “It is important to remember that, both ideologically and conceptually, the Constitution of sovereign Belarus is the successor to the Constitution of the Socialist Soviet Republic of Byelorussia — a revolutionary, progressive and, most importantly, fair document. Back in 1919, for the first time in world history, the natural resources of the native land were recognised as the property of the entire people. It was the Soviet Constitution that also for the first time in history, outlawed the exploitation of people by other people and thereby protected human life and dignity regardless of ethnic origin, social status and faith. This is the embodiment of the social justice principle, which was supported by all Soviet constitutions and which we have preserved as fundamental in our life. Speaking about the 1994 Constitution adopted by the Supreme Council, it is necessary to mention about borrowing the experience of the world’s advanced countries. Belarusians reflected the most important attributes of the democratic system, such as the separation of powers, legality in the activities of state bodies, and additional guarantees for the implementation of human rights and freedoms, in the text of our then Constitution. 
Following the Basic Law, we have built a balanced and effective management vertical practically from scratch.
Not right away, though. And not without attempts by foreign ‘assistants’ to take control of the process. At present, when talking about the Constitution, we mean the document that reflects our national interests. 

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This is what we have now. Many people present in this hall remember what the 1994 Constitution discussions were accompanied with, what was happening on the streets and in the corridors of power, where a struggle for posts was
in full swing. Just think about it — that was a parliamentary republic, there was no country yet. That is, there was no ideology of national development, the goals of that development were not set. There was no control system, nor mechanisms for the interaction between different structures. That was the reality, and the country was actually governed by 360 deputies, including me. The responsibility was absolutely vague and I saw it from the inside. Not many people in power in the 1990s were bothered by the fact that employees at plants and factories were not paid their salaries in months. Who cared about empty shelves in stores?” the President reminded about the important events.
“At the same time, against the background of the total poverty of the population, the country had natural resources
and an impressive production potential. There were created convenient conditions for the privatisation of that wealth
by Western capital — the country was in a mess, and Belarusians had no time to think about national interests or the essence of sovereignty. In fact, almost no one turned to such notions at that time — some people thought about how to feed their children, others — how to retain their jobs and positions.”  
What chances did we have to preserve our cultural, economic, and political identity? This is a rhetorical question. 
Aleksandr Lukashenko also mentioned that biased politicians of that time tried to impose on Belarusian society a scheme of systematic chaos and de facto anarchy — the parliamentary republic. Yet, the people made a choice in favour of a strong government.   
“They tried to divide us along linguistic and ethnic lines, but Belarusians came out as a united people in support of the state status of our two native languages. They wanted to cut us off from our roots, discrediting the Soviet past, but our people — realising that they were the heirs of the heroic generation of winners — returned to the symbols of the great era. They tried to drag Belarus into all sorts of alliances in order to break off friendly and close integration ties, primarily with Russia, but the Belarusian people did not allow it. Where are those who broke away from the East Slavic family now? Where are these peoples? In contrast, we have created our own history. We have written our laws ourselves. That is why we have been living under the information, political and economic pressure for a third of a century,” the President stated.
By improving the Basic Law in 2021–2022, Belarusians responded to the challenges of the time. People saw the emerging risks of losing the institution of the traditional family, our moral attitudes, and historical memory, and put these values under protection at the highest level — at the level of the Basic Law.

“We have constitutionally enshrined the right of every person to a decent standard of living. Over the last three decades, the monetary incomes of the population have increased by more than 9 times (compared to the mid–1990s), and wages have risen by 12 times. You remember the hyperinflation level registered after the USSR collapse. Today, its level does not exceed 6 percent,” the President stressed. “Belarusians’ access to personal accommodation is growing — the number of square metres per person has increased 1.6 times. Belarus has one of the lowest poverty levels — not only among the CIS countries, but also among the European Union states. We have reduced this figure 10 times since the early 1990s. The unemployment rate has been significantly reduced. We belong to the countries with a high level of human development. Belarusians are recognised as a highly intelligent nation. This data does not even belong to us, but to those who are not our friends,” the Head of State pointed out.

According to the Head of State, Belarus rationally invests in innovations and technologies of the future, thereby increasing the competitiveness of the national economy. Belarus takes a rational approach to financial issues, neither accumulating nor transferring debts to future generations. The country’s public debt does not exceed 32 percent of gross domestic product. 
Belarus has created a modern highly productive agricultural sector. The country is in the top 5 exporters of dairy products, and is among the world leaders in meat production per capita. In general, almost 65 percent of Belarusian industrial products are exported.  
“Exactly 30 years ago, the countdown of the history of independent Belarus began. Approaching this milestone date, we look back at the path we have covered in order to step more confidently into tomorrow. Our Constitution provides an opportunity to live with dignity, develop, feel safe, and fulfil the most ambitious plans and initiatives in our native land. This is how it should be in a modern, truly democratic country. Most importantly, we have done everything so that our children could surpass these achievements and successes. We will continue to help them. Now it is time for the new generations to act,” Aleksandr Lukashenko added. “Despite today’s difficulties and all the twists and turns, I have good reasons to look confidently into the future,” the Belarusian leader assured.  
The participants of the meeting delivered their reports. They discussed the activities of the Constitutional Court to protect constitutional values, the tasks of civil society to strengthen democratic foundations, the role of youth in preserving and enhancing the traditions of the Belarusian state.

Based on materials of sb.by and belta.by