Commission set up to amend Belarus’ Constitution
Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko has signed presidential decree No.105 to establish a constitutional commission. The document has been passed in order to implement provisions of the resolution of the 6th Belarusian People’s Congress.
The Constitutional Commission has been tasked with working out proposals on amending Belarus’ Constitution and ensuring their nationwide discussion. If necessary, the commission will be able to involve executives and specialists of government agencies and other organizations in its work.
By 1 August 2021 the Constitutional Commission will have to forward proposals on amending the Constitution to the Belarus President for their consequent submission for a nationwide referendum.
The Constitutional Commission comprises 36 people. Those are representatives of government agencies, law scholars, representatives of public associations, various branches of the economy and the social sphere – distinguished and respected citizens with an active civil stance. Chairman of the Constitutional Court Piotr Miklashevich will oversee the Constitutional Commission’s work. Chairman of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly Vladimir Andreichenko and Chairwoman of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly Natalya Kochanova will be his deputies.
The Constitutional Commission also includes members of the upper chamber of the parliament (Oleg Rummo, Tatiana Runets, Sergei Sivets) and members of the lower chamber (Svetlana Lyubetskaya, Igor Marzalyuk, Valentin Semenyako).
Representatives of municipal self-government agencies will also help work out proposals on amending the Constitution as part of the commission. Those include Chairman of the Minsk City Council of Deputies Andrei Bugrov, Chairman of the Novopolotsk City Council of Deputies Oleg Buyevich, Chairman of the Kalinkovichi District Council of Deputies Viktor Zamostik, Chairman of the Pruzhany District Council of Deputies Nikolai Kudravets, and Chairwoman of the Minsk Oblast Council of Deputies Natalya Yakubitskaya.
Representing the real sector and the financial sector of the economy will be Director General of the science and technology association Infopark Vladimir Basko, Chairman of the Board of BSB Bank, Candidate of Economics Sergei Dubkov, Director General of OAO MAZ, managing company of the holding company BelavtoMAZ Valery Ivankovich, Director General of OOO Managing Company of the holding company Belarusian Leather and Footwear Company Marko, Honored Worker of Industry of Belarus Nikolai Martynov, Chairman of the Board of the agricultural enterprise SPK Agrokombinat Snov, Honored Worker of Agriculture of Belarus Nikolai Radoman.
Public associations are represented on the Constitutional Commission by Chairwoman of the Belarusian Union of Women Yelena Bogdan, Director of the information and analysis institution Roundtable of Democratic Forces Yuri Voskresensky, Chairman of the Youth Council (parliament) under the National Assembly of Belarus Yegor Makarevich, Chairman of the Belarusian Republican Union of Lawyers Valery Mitskevich, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Belarus Aleksei Sokol. Director of the information and enlightenment institution Actual Concept Aleksandr Shpakovsky.
The Constitutional Commission also includes representatives of science and education, namely Head of the Constitutional Law Department of the Law Faculty of the Belarusian State University, Honored Lawyer of Belarus Grigory Vasilevich, an intern professor of the Theory and History of State and Law Department of the Law Faculty of the Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno Bozhena Yeremich, Deputy Chairwoman of the Constitutional Court, Doctor of Legal Sciences Natalya Karpovich, an assistant professor of the Constitutional Law Department of the Law Faculty of the Belarusian State University, Candidate of Legal Sciences Tatiana Maslovskaya, Deputy Dean of the Law Faculty of the Belarusian State University, Candidate of Legal Sciences Artyom Pukhov, Senior Counselor of the Economic Analysis Department of the Domestic Policy Office of the Belarusian Institute of Strategic Research (BISR), Candidate of Legal Sciences Yekaterina Rechits, Deputy Director of the National Center of Legislation and Legal Research of the Republic of Belarus – Head of the Legal Research Institute, Candidate of Legal Sciences Yelena Semashko.
The spheres of culture and sport are represented by Rector of the Belarusian State Academy of Music, Doctor of Art History Yekaterina Dulova, Art Director of the Movie Actor Theater-Studio, People’s Artist of Belarus, Honored Figure of Arts Aleksandr Yefremov, a master of sports, member of the national Paralympic team Aleksei Talai, and Chairwoman of the Belarusian Cycling Federation, Honored Master of Sport Natallia Tsylinskaya.
