Minsk hosts first meeting of Constitutional Commission

The proposed amendments to the Basic Law of the country are aimed at the development of the country and all spheres of economy. Today, Minsk hosted the first session of the Commission which is adopting a new version of the Constitution. The draft amendments are to be submitted by August 1. Then the amendments will be submitted for a nationwide referendum. 

The working schedule has been defined in the first place. The circle of experts is going to meet once in two weeks to consider the innovations in each of the sections of the Basic Law. All proposals will be accumulated in the National Center of Legal Information. At the same time an editorial group of lawyers will work to put the proposals from citizens or organizations into a proper legal form. 

According to Petr Miklashevich, the Chairman of the Constitutional Court of Belarus, each proposal will be reviewed by the working group. However, the most relevant suggestions may be implemented in the corresponding laws or legal acts.

The redistribution of powers among the authorities will be a logical component of the renewed Constitution. The Council of Ministers has prepared such a package of proposals on expanding the spheres of influence. It is vitally important to keep the strong presidential power and make the redistribution of powers - this is an unambiguous position of the Belarusian leader. 

36 people will be personally responsible for the proposals they will submit to the President. The President will submit the Constitution to the referendum. 

At this point, the House of Representatives has received about 5,000 proposals. A wide range of stakeholders are involved in the process - business circles, political parties and public organizations. They started the discussion of a wide range of changes: social partnership and responsibility of the state and citizen, principles of legal development, balance of public and private interests. The proposals from people are very diverse: responsibility of children and parents, digitalization of society and the protection of personal data. 

Human rights and freedoms are the foundation of the law, and it is no coincidence that the commission began its first working day by discussing human rights and freedoms.