25 Jan 2023 12:59

Law on All-Belarusian People's Assembly adopted in Belarus

MINSK. Jan 25 (Interfax) - A bill on the All-Belarusian People's Assembly passed the second, final reading in the Belarusian Parliament's House of Representatives on Wednesday, the press service for the parliament's lower chamber said.

"The bill presents approaches that comprehensively define the procedure for forming the All-Belarusian People's Assembly and the implementation of its powers, principles and organizational fundamentals of activity, as well as mechanisms for considering issues within the competence of the All-Belarusian People's Assembly," the press service said.

Constitutional amendments were approved via a referendum in Belarus in February 2022. For example, powers of the All-Belarusian People's Assembly were broadened. Its status as the supreme representative body of people's power in Belarus was formalized. Both incumbent and former presidents of Belarus and representatives of the legislative, executive and judicial power branches and civil society are designated as Assembly delegates.

The right to elect Assembly deputies will be given to civil society entities with organizational bodies in regions and the city of Minsk, republican civil associations with at least 100,000 members, or entities that unite at least half of registered trade unions.

It will be prohibited to nominate as Assembly delegates persons with foreign citizenship or documents of foreign states, which entitle them to benefits or advantages for political and religious views or national identity.

The Assembly has the right to remove the president from office, elect the head and members of the Central Elections Commission and the Constitutional and Supreme Courts, declare a state of emergency or martial law in the country, consider the deployment of servicemen outside Belarus for the provision of collective security or for peacekeeping activity, and submit referendum proposals to the president.