Meeting to discuss work of House of Representatives of National Assembly of Belarus

It is necessary to provide support to MPs during the transition from one convocation of the parliament to another, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said at a meeting to discuss the work of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus on 1 March.

The event was attended by Chairman of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly Vladimir Andreichenko, First Deputy Head of the Belarus President Administration Maksim Ryzhenkov, Deputy Head of the Belarus President Administration Olga Chupris, Deputy Chairman of the House of Representatives Valery Mitskevich, Chairman of the Central Election Commission Igor Karpenko and Head of the Secretariat of the House of Representatives Andrei Naumovich.

“Six people. Involve whoever you need in this work. People will hear my position today. The parliament, the Belarus President Administration, the government, the Belarus President Property Management Directorate, and other government bodies will join in and provide assistance to you during the transition from one convocation of the parliament to another. We must do everything to make sure that the deputies will begin their work without delay,” said the head of state. “And all of you will also need to get involved to help the government form the composition of the Belarusian People’s Congress and organize sessions and conferences of the Congress. Think of a plan and the way we will arrange the event. It is determined by the Constitution when the first session should take place. We must do everything in line with the law and we need to think what issues we should give priority to at the first session of the Belarusian People’s Congress,” the head of state added.

“There is enough work for everyone. There is plenty of work,” noted Aleksandr Lukashenko. The Central Election Commission should also get help, if necessary, to fulfil current tasks. “He [Chairman of the Central Election Commission Igor Karpenko] does not have a huge team and a lot of people to deal with all the issues,” the President remarked.

The head of state first of all focused on organizational issues relating to the work and life of newly elected and outgoing members of the House of Representatives. These issues included salary, new jobs, election of senior members of the House of Representatives, formation of commissions, rewarding distinguished deputies for conscientious work, and providing support with the formation of the Belarusian People’s Congress.

According to the head of state, 25 March is the deadline for newly elected deputies to take up their jobs. “In this regard, I want to raise the following question with you. We all need to pay our bills and provide for our families. Let’s agree that until 1 April, newly elected deputies will get salaries at their place of residence, and from 1 April they will be paid the way deputies are supposed to be paid. If any issues arise, let me know and we will fix them,” the President said.

Aleksandr Lukashenko also touched upon purely organizational issues, including those that he encountered during his term in the parliament: “As I was a deputy myself, I know that this period is not easy, things are rather hectic, and the secretariat has a huge workload.”

In this regard, the head of state gave an instruction to provide organizational and material support to the head of the secretariat, if needed. “So that he can get workplaces ready for deputies, listen to what they want. Usual stuff,” the Belarusian leader explained.

He added that he would also instruct the head of the Belarus President Property Management Directorate to get involved financially, if necessary.

“I ask all of you to work closely with the parliament for a couple of weeks to help deputies get in the groove and prepare and hold the first meeting of the parliament. Let’s be honest, we need to provide the necessary support to the deputies (this is what they ask for) to elect governing bodies of the House of Representatives,” the President said.

This includes the election of the chair and deputy chair of the House of Representatives, heads of parliamentary commissions. “You should not interfere too much. This is the business of deputies to hold these events in line with the regulations and the law,” said Aleksandr Lukashenko.

The President also gave an instruction to arrange his traditional meeting with outgoing parliamentarians. “It is necessary to prepare very thoroughly for this meeting. Vladimir Pavlovich [Andreichenko], we must thank and reward those who deserve it,” the head of state remarked. “The rewards should be generous, but selective. Just like we usually do: we need to reward those who worked hard. And many deputies were involved in the work on the Constitution.”

“The parliament was more solid and conscientious than ever, it didn’t create problems for anyone, it worked as it was supposed to. Therefore, those deputies who deserve it should be rewarded,” added Aleksandr Lukashenko.

Another important issue dealt with new jobs for outgoing parliamentarians. “These are very experienced and seasoned people,” the head of state emphasized.

“If you need any help with employment of outgoing deputies, let me know and I will get involved. We will resolve these issues,” the President assured.