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A. Lukashenko: The new Constitution will lay the foundations for changes, this is an evolutionary development
Ensuring sovereignty and territorial integrity, the continuity of social policy and the redistribution of powers of the President, parliament and government are just some of the principles of the draft of the updated Constitution. It was introduced to the President today.
The document was the result of the work of the Constitutional Commission. It was adopted in the spring, and about 40 people were engaged in the development of proposals for changes to the Basic Law for six months. The analysis of the world experience of the state bodies and the study of trends in the development of constitutional legislation were conducted. A lot of work has been done, and its main goal has been achieved, as it was noted by Alexander Lukashenko. The version of the draft of the new Basic Law of the country is ready!
The referendum on the new version of the Constitution of Belarus will take place no later than February 2022
Nevertheless, a number of controversial issues remain, according to the President. Also, some proposals may arise during the nationwide discussion. The final decision on what the new fundamental law of the country should be will be taken by the people: the referendum will take place no later than February next year. All the work should become the basis for the consolidation of society and lay the legal foundation for the country's development in the future, Alexander Lukashenko is sure.
Alexander Lukashenko, President of the Republic of Belarus:
There are different points of view in society, especially among people who have done a lot for the formation of the state. There are those who believe that a referendum is unnecessary and that it is necessary to follow the current path, without changing the Constitution. This is inadmissible. We promised to hold a referendum on the Constitution. They demanded "changes" from us. We understood that the essence of life is to constantly change. It should only be beneficial. Changes are not breaking, not cracking us, but they are about evolutionary development. And this is reasonable when we make changes based on the fundamental aspects. And all this must be legal. The Constitution will lay the foundations for these changes.The new Constitution should serve the Belarusian people. The Basic Law of the country is being improved for this purpose. Alexander Lukashenko urges everyone who takes part in the development of the document to think about their children: they should live according to the new laws. The lessons of the past year, when opponents of the authorities tried to inflict discord in society and destroy its foundations, should be taken into account. In this part, the Constitution should prescribe the powers and functions of the authorities.In general, it was proposed to amend 53 articles of the Constitution, add 14 new ones and delete 3 articles. The updated Basic Law retains the presidential form of government, but at the same time clarifies the powers of the Head of State, government and parliament, and establishes the constitutional status of the All-Belarusian People's Assembly.
The composition and formation of the All-Belarusian People's Assembly, the use of the death penalty and the right of labor collectives to nominate candidates for deputies remained among controversial issues. A special group will be created for resolving these topics and finalizing the draft of the Basic Law. The Constitutional Commission will also take part. The Constitution will be subject to a nationwide discussion only after that. Lawyers will give thorough examination to the main law. And then Belarusians will vote for the changes in a referendum.