Expert: Belarusian People’s Congress allows preserving unity of Belarusian people and setting a vector for the country’s development
The 1st Belarusian People's Congress – which took place 27 years ago – was a really important historical event. At present, it is no longer just a people's assembly, but a body that allows preserving the unity of the Belarusian people, setting the vector of the country’s development and coping with various kinds of challenges. Political expert Vadim Borovik focused on the topic in his talk with Alfa Radio.
“In times when certain forces were trying to break, split the Belarusian society, not to allow Belarusians to be united and to develop the republic, Aleksandr Lukashenko held the 1st Belarusian People's Congress, choosing the most democratic path – proposing those unwilling to negotiate to ask the people to share their opinion, to let representatives of various spheres of society – education, culture, industry, and so on – voice their thoughts. It was proposed to let those people come together and speak out on a common agenda – to be able to further work out the course of the country's development,” Mr. Borovik said. “At present, the Belarusian People’s Congress is already a constitutional body. It is not just a people's assembly, but a body that primarily aims to preserve and maintain the unity of the Belarusian people, set the vector of the country’s development. It is a stabilising factor that makes it possible to move along the chosen path that Belarusians need and to neutralise external and internal challenges. I think the decision to hold the 1st Belarusian People's Congress was right, and this body is now functioning.”
The expert agreed that Belarus is bringing its unique experience to the global political arena in this way, “There are no successful countries that refuse to think with their own heads. There might be attempts to transform a country into a Singapore, a South Korea, or an EU. However, no templates work. We have our own unique historical path of gaining statehood. We had a very strong integration within the Soviet Union, we enjoyed close ties. We have a certain cultural code, a certain attitude to values – family, historical, and so on. It's all been shaped for centuries, so it is impossible to throw away this unique, valuable experience of ours and take someone else's model. We have heard all our partners. We are ready to communicate and use some positive experience that will not harm us. Nevertheless, we have strategic allies, states with whom we have been shoulder to shoulder for centuries – so we have no right to abandon this experience and these relations. What Belarus has worked out by adopting its new Constitution is the quintessence of the country’s historical, economic and political experience. We have taken the best practices from different countries, we have also borrowed something from the West – but we have primarily focused on our own interests and historical experience. We have created [a model] convenient for the Belarusian people. No one in the east, west, south or north dictated to us what kind of policy to build. The present Constitution, the political system and the model are exclusively Belarusian – and they are unique.”
