It is necessary to formalize the status of the Belarusian People's Congress in the new Constitution, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he spoke at a joint meeting of the Constitutional Commission and the working group on finalizing the new Constitution draft on 25 November, BelTA informs.
“The key amendments to the fundamental law seek to significantly strengthen people's rule. With this in mind it was proposed to formalize the status of the Belarusian People's Congress in the Constitution and give it powers that are strategically important for maintaining stability in the country. As I have said more than once, the Belarusian People's Congress is our veche [a popular assembly in medieval Slavic countries]. I believe that this institution of people's rule chimes in with centuries-old traditions and the way of life of Belarusians,” he said.
“Probably, the recent events have convinced not only all of you, but also the Belarusian people, especially skeptics, that we should not blindly embrace the principles, norms, way of life [of Western countries]. You saw that they declare one thing, want us to do another thing, while they are doing ... You have seen what they are doing,” the president noted.
Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed that the Belarusian People's Congress is not new to Belarus. “It just belongs to the Constitution,” he said. “And it's not about personalities. I emphasize that the Constitution should not mention any specific personalities. Lukashenko is not amending the Constitution to meet his needs.”
