Belarusian model of people’s power

President of Belarus, Chairman of the Belarusian People’s Congress Aleksandr Lukashenko has held a meeting of the Presidium of the Belarusian People’s Congress — the supreme constitutional representative body of people’s power

BELTA

The sitting was the first meeting of the Presidium of the supreme constitutional representative body of people’s power. 
Aleksandr Lukashenko shared some views about the Belarusian People’s Congress with the participants of the meeting, “I decided to hold a meeting of the Presidium in a broad format today, because we need to resolve the main issue. 

Actually, it is already stipulated in the Constitution, so we all need to understand that the Belarusian People’s Congress should not interfere with anyone’s work. It should not dominate other bodies of power, since we will thus create problems for ourselves.”

Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed, “As regards the proposals that have been submitted to me over the past six months — dealing with the structure of our Presidium and on interaction with the delegates, I have not made a decision on them without consulting you. Most importantly, we (I mean the Belarusian People’s Congress and the Presidium) in no case interfere with any body of power and we do not pressure them. Everyone is engaged into their own affairs. This practice is already decades-long in our country, and everyone knows this. Moreover, we should not allow an approach when our representative body of the Belarusian People’s Congress is viewed as something supreme able to do anything in the country. The position of the Belarusian People’s Congress is determined by the Constitution. The Constitution outlines general provisions, requirements, and functional responsibilities of the Belarusian People’s Congress, but it sometimes happens the other way around in details, in the specific application. If it is determined that the Belarusian People’s Congress makes decisions on the issues of national security, war, peace, and so on, then these are exclusively its powers.”
The Head of State added that the Belarusian People’s Congress should not get involved into minor issues, “This does not mean that our meetings will be held four times a year (like the Central Committee’s plenums), and that we will discuss certain issues there and assert that we are working hard. 

According to the Constitution, the Belarusian People’s Congress should deal exclusively with its own issues, and this should be the basis for the structure and the relationship of the Presidium and the Chairman of the Presidium with the Belarusian People’s Congress delegates.”

As noted by President of Belarus, Chairman of the Belarusian People’s Congress Aleksandr Lukashenko, the next meeting of the Belarusian People’s Congress is scheduled to be held after the Presidential election.
Aleksandr Lukashenko recalled that the Presidential election will be held in the country on January 26th, 2025, and shared his views on the development of a programme that will be presented to the attention of citizens. “Since we have a certain unity, the programme of the incumbent President — which is being worked out by all of us today — will be a landmark for all Belarusian people in January, and even December. Meanwhile, we will detail the tasks for the next year and, perhaps for the coming five years, after the Presidential election — on the basis of this programme,” the Head of State said.
* * *
The Belarusian People’s Congress is the supreme representative body of people’s power of the Republic of Belarus, which determines the strategic directions of the development of society and the state, ensuring the inviolability of the constitutional system, the continuity of generations and civil harmony
According to the amendments and additions made to Belarus’ Constitution following the results of the nationwide referendum held on February 27th, 2022, the Belarusian People’s Congress became a constitutional body.
The meeting of the Belarusian People’s Congress as a constitutional body was held for the first time on April 24th, 2024. 
During the event, the first four decisions were taken: on the election of the Chairman of the Belarusian People’s Congress, his Deputy and the Presidium of the Belarusian People’s Congress, as well as on the approval of the Provisional Rules of the Belarusian People’s Congress.
President of the Republic of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko was elected Chairman of the 7th Belarusian People’s Congress.
Aleksandr Kosinets was elected Deputy Chairman of the 7th Belarusian People’s Congress.
The following members of the Presidium were elected:
• Vadim Bogush
• Aleksandr Brantsevich
• Konstantin Burak
• Dmitry Chernyakov
• Vladimir Karanik
• Marina Lenchevskaya
• Sergei Polyakov
• Sergei Sivets
• Ruslan Strakhar
• Olga Shpilevskaya
• Yuri Shuleiko
• Irina Tylets
• Nadezhda Yermakova
The Presidium of the Belarusian People’s Congress is a permanent collegial body that ensures the prompt resolution of issues within the competence of the Belarusian People’s Congress.
The maximum number of the Belarusian People’s Congress Presidium is 15 people.

Aleksandr Lukashenko, “People’s concerns are very important to me”

During his meeting with the head and co-ordinators of the initiative group to collect signatures in support of the incumbent Head of State for nomination as a Presidential candidate, President Aleksandr Lukashenko asked to inform him about the problems that citizens are concerned about.

“The most important thing is that you communicate with people while collecting signatures. I would really ask you to have all this data concentrated and to inform me (in case we are elected), so that I know what people are talking about, what we need to pay attention to. It’s a good sociological cross-section; it can’t get any better than that. Just write me honestly and shortly about what good things people say and the rest about people’s demands. What is wrong from their point of view? The problems that people are concerned about are very important to me. And we will, of course, work in this direction and correct the shortcomings that people notice,” Aleksandr Lukashenko noted.

The Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus took the initiative to organise work on collecting signatures in support of the incumbent Head of State, and its Chairman Yuri Senko headed the relevant initiative group.
Aleksandr Lukashenko sincerely thanked all the members of the initiative group for the work carried out in support of the incumbent President, “I really appreciate it. I am daily reported on the situation in our initiative group. Actually, due to certain circumstances related to the events that have taken place, I could not meet with you earlier. The schedule is hectic these days as well, but I asked that all events be moved to a later date. After all, I had to meet you. I am sure that our conversation today will be perceived fully by all members of the initiative group. I know this work is hard.”
The Head of State noted that he physically has no opportunity to meet with all the members of the initiative group (there are more than 17 thousand of them). “So please, convey my words of gratitude to those who work in our interests,” he addressed the meeting participants.
The Head of State asked not to force the initiative group members so that they would run around the houses, ask for something or arrange extra signature collecting points, “A sufficient amount has been collected already, so there is no need for us to be criticised again. [There should be no such statements that] the President has definitely pressurised someone, or we are forcing people to do something. Actually, such statements will be made, but let it be fakes, not the truth. We follow the laws.”
Mr. Senko underlined that 1 million 581 thousand 559 signatures in support of the nomination of the incumbent Head of State as a Presidential candidate have been collected by the initiative group by the time of the meeting. 
Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed once again that all stages of the election campaign should be organised in a worthy manner. “First of all, this is because we have nothing to be afraid of,” he stated.
The Head of State pointed out that the collection of signatures would last until December 6th, “The deadline has been announced, that’s why we have to be present until December 6th so that people can come and sign.”

Based on materials of sb.by and belta.by