Expert voiced strongest point of Belarusian statehood on eve of Constitution Day
Belarus is celebrating one of its main state holidays – Constitution Day – on March 15th, and Vadim Gigin, the Director General of the National Library, explained what key ideas of the Constitution are preserved from year to year and why Belarusians are so careful about their Basic Law
“A traditional campaign is being organised these days: our young people receive their first passports,” Mr. Gigin said in his talk with Alfa Radio. “A very important event took place on March 13th at the National Library: Chairman of the Constitutional Court Piotr Miklashevich, Deputy Head of the President Administration Olga Chupris, the Constitutional Court judges and leading lawyers presented a scientific and practical commentary on the Constitution. This is really important, since Belarus boasts legal traditions, a high level of law school, and a school of constitutionalists. This has always been our peculiar feature, starting from the times of Ancient Russia. Belarus’ legal school has been at a very high level since the time when the first legal documents were adopted, and therefore we demonstrate a careful attitude to our Constitution.”
As noted by the expert, the recent amendments to the Constitution complement its first edition dated March 15th, 1994. “While editing it, we preserve the main direction. The amendments made in 1996 helped us resolve an acute, including constitutional, crisis. There were also minor amendments in 2004, but the Constitution was seriously revised at the 2022 referendum. However, the main directions and focus of the Constitution – stating that Belarus is a presidential republic, it is a social, legal, unitary state where people are the source of power – remain unchanged. The ‘body’ of the Constitution is preserved, and it is very important for us. After all, we see that historical continuity is the key point of the Belarusian statehood, and we are talking here not only about the USSR times, the Great Patriotic War, but also about 30 years of independence and sovereignty. We are not giving up anything, we are not making any radical U-turns, and this is a very serious and strong side of our statehood," Mr. Gigin concluded.
