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PARLIAMENT NEWS
No 16(128) September, 1996 In this issue:
· The current session has adopted a number of new laws, and some amendments
have been made to the laws already in force.
· All factions of the Parliament and some members of parliament (MPs)
made their suggestions on how to overcome the constitutional crisis.
· A seminar for MPs was held on important problems of the process of
law-making.
· Delegations from the Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Belarus took
part in the work of the Council Of Europe Interparliamentary Assembly,
and in the session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Commonwealth of
Belarus and Russia.
At the second session of the 13th Supreme Soviet.
The parliament resumed its work on September, 17, 1996.
Semyon Sharetski, the Supreme Soviet Chairman, made a speech. He expressed
his opinion on the political situation in the republic, on the state of
national economy, and on the way out of the present constitutional dispute
between the legislative and the executive branches of power. The head of
the Supreme Soviet outlined clearly his position on the main spheres of
political life, he made his realistic evaluation of the present state of
affairs in the Parliament, and he suggested that the vote of confidence
in him be put on the agenda. His suggestion was declined after an exchange
of opinions, since only 22 deputies voted for it. Mechislav Girut, a member
of the Supreme Soviet Presidium, read the Draft Address to the President
of the Republic of Belarus, tabled by the Communist and by the Agrarian
factions. The letter proposed that both Presidential and Parliamentary
draft amendments to the 1994 Constitution be repealed, and an ad hoc committee
be set up in order to work out a compromise draft Constitution.
September 18, 1996
Victor Gonchar, Chairman of the Central Commission on Elections and
Referendums, made a report on preparatory work for elections to the Supreme
Soviet and to the local Soviets. He said that though the election campaign
was well under way already, and candidates for deputies’ seats were being
nominated, the Finance Ministry had not given the Central Electoral Committee
the money envisaged by the budget for organizing the elections. Nor the
money for organizing the referendum, he stressed. Pavel Dik, Finance Minister,
gave his answers to the questions of the MPs.
September 19, 1996
The deputies discussed and approved the draft law «On preservation
and use of the animal world» in the second reading. They made amendments
to the state budget for the current year. MPs continued discussing the
Draft Address of the Supreme Soviet on ways of solving the constitutional
crisis and on holding a referendum, submitted earlier by factions and deputies.
DIGEST
Semyon Sharetski, Chairman of the Supreme Soviet
of the Republic of Belarus:
"Honorable Members, there are two draft Constitutions
before you, as before all citizens of our country.
If some of you like the presidential draft and
the society which would be created in accordance with
this Constitution, you are free to vote for it,
but you should not blackmail and exert pressure on those
who are against this obscurantism - that is how
honest lawyers in this country and abroad call it.
The problem is: what kind of Constitution, and,
therefore, what kind of society will be here. In order
to come to mutual understanding in solving this
issue, it is reasonable to recall both drafts and to
form a committee which would take all opinions
into consideration."
(«The Zvyazda», September, 19,1996).
September, 20,1996
Deputies approved the Address to the President of the Republic of Belarus
and to the deputies of the Supreme Soviet who initiated including certain
amendments to the 1994 Constitution of the Republic of Belarus into the
list of questions for the forthcoming referendum, they approved the corresponding
resolution. The document contains suggestions which, in the deputies’ opinion,
would facilitate common consent, guarantee the stability of the foundations
of democracy and of law. Deputies began considering the amendments and
supplements to the law «On the National Bank of the Republic of Belarus».
September, 24,1996
Discussion took place on amendments to the law on «Internal State debt
of the Republic of Belarus» proposed by The Commission on Budget, Taxation,
Banking and Finance, and by the Ministry of Finance. The deputies agreed
with these proposals and approved the draft law. Amendments were made in
the law «On Pensions for Army Servicemen, for Commanders and Personnel
of the Organs of Internal Affairs», and in laws «On Emigration», «On Insurance»,
«On the communication by the courier at the Ministry of Communications
and Information Means». The Supreme Soviet deputies also started discussing
the amendments to the law «On the status of a Deputy of the Supreme Soviet
of the Republic of Belarus».
September, 24,1996
Draft bill«On amendments and supplements to the Law «On the National
Bank of the Republic of Belarus» was approved after a discussion of each
article. The deputies also approved the draft resolution «On ratifying
the interstate agreement on coordination of policies in oil and gas pipeline
transit».
September, 24,1996
The Session continued discussing the amendments to the law «On the
Status of a Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Belarus». After
discussing the amendments to it, proposed by the Committee on State Policies
and Local Administration, the bill got its final approval. The deputies
also discussed the draft law «On Recalling the Deputies of the Supreme
Soviet and the Deputies of Local Soviets» and approved it in the first
reading.
September, 27,1996
Amendments to the draft Law «On the Budgetary System in the Republic
of Belarus». Several deputies demanded to discuss the biased coverage of
the Supreme Soviet work by the National Television and Radio Company, and
the violation by some journalists of the clauses of the Laws «On The Press
and Other Mass Media», «On the Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Belarus»,
of articles 33 and 34 of the present Constitution of the country. As a
result of the debate that followed the Resolution «On the Rules of Coverage
by Mass Media of the work of the 13th Supreme Soviet of the Republic of
Belarus».
Events: meetings,
visits press conferences
Semyon Sharetski, Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the Republic of
Belarus addressed the Constitutional Court with a request to verify the
compliance of the Resolution of the Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Belarus
«On Holding a Republican Referendum in the Republic of Belarus and on Measures
to Support it» of September 6,1996 with Provisions 2.2 and 2.5 of the Constitution
of the Republic of Belarus. The letter of the Parliament Chairman reads
that, in accordance with Provision 2, Article 147 of the Constitution of
the Republic of Belarus, «amendments and addenda to the Constitution may
be made by means of a referendum». At the same time, the current Constitution
does not envisage the adoption of a new Basic Law through a referendum.
In accordance with the above (September 6, 1996) Resolution of the Supreme
Soviet two drafts of completely new Constitutions are to be put to the
referendum. They radically change the existing system of supreme state
bodies and the correlation among them. The initiators of both drafts suggest
a principally new pattern of organizing power.
***
A press conference of deputies, members of the «Labour Union» - Social-Democratic
faction in the Supreme Soviet was held on September 17,1996. Among the
participants of the press conference were deputies Leonid Sechko, Alexander
Bukhvostov, Mechislav Grib, Vladimir Nistyuk, Pyotr Kravchenko, Mikhail
Voronovich, Pavel Znavets. The topics of their speeches were: the evaluation
of the current political and economic situation in the country, the attitude
of Belarusian Social-Democrats towards the forthcoming referendum due to
be held in November. The participants of the press conference declared:
«The proposed revised Constitution, as well as
the policy pursued lately,
are a testimony of the President’s tough line aimed
at establishing a regime
of unbridled personal rule. He demonstrates his
intention to hold,
through thick and thin, the referendum with his
questions exclusively,
ignoring the will of the Supreme Soviet ... Alongside
this, the principal
incompatibility of the suggested changes to the
Constitution (with an
unrestricted Presidential authority, or a parliamentary
republic without
a President) reduce the possibility for choice
in the political structuring
of the country. Social Democrats are prepared,
if necessary, to suggest
their own variant of the amendments, which preserves
the seat of President,
but delineates explicitly the rights and obligations
of all branches of power».
The text of amendments, proposed by the Belarusian Socialist Democratic
party to the present Constitution, was distributed among the correspondents.
***
Gennady Zuganov, leader of the Communist faction in the State Duma
of the Russian Federation (The lower Chamber of the Russian Parliament)
arrived on a brief visit. He met with the deputies of the Supreme Soviet
of the Republic of Belarus, addressed Belarusian MPs in the Parliament
hall, had talks with the members of the Belarusian Communist Party faction
of deputies.
***
On September 20,1996, a large group of handicapped sportsmen and their
coaches were awarded with special documents of the Supreme Soviet of the
Republic of Belarus. It this way their successful participation in the
10th Paraolympic Games at Atlanta was merited. It was said that the sportsmen
«demonstrated miracles of genuine sports heroism, they proudly carried
the Belarusian flag at this international forum». Semyon Sharetski, Chairman
of the Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Belarus, stressed that « We deeply
understand the importance of the cause you served so successfully».
***
On the initiative of the Committee on Economic Policy and Reforms,
with the assistance of «Belarusian Perspective» public scientific-analytical
center, and of the Cribble Institute (USA) a series of seminars was organized
for the deputies of the highest legislative body on the topical problems
of the law-making process. The following topics for seminars were chosen:
«Small businesses and their role in a transition economy», «The role of
denationalization in stimulating small businesses», «The State policy in
stimulating housing construction. Mortgage», «Some problems of civil society»,
«Authority division among the branches of power as a prerequisite for a
democratic state». Invited to the seminars were specialists from a number
of research institutes and universities, from ministries. Among the participants
to the seminars were: Richard Ran, a member of the Board of Directors of
the American Institute of Studies in Economic Aspects of Taxation and Strategy
Chairman of the US Council of Business Leaders, Chairmen of Parliamentary
committees: Vasily Shlyndikov - the Committee on Economic Policy And Reforms,
Vladimir Basharimov - the Committee on Budget, Taxation, Banking and Finance,
Gennady Usyukievich - the Committee on Agrarian Problems and the Social
Development or Rural Areas, Grigory Prokopovich - the Legal Committee,
Vladimir Savichev - the Committee on State Policies and Local Administration.
***
A delegation of the Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Belarus including
Yuri Malumov, Deputy Cairman of the Supreme Soviet, Sergey Kalyakin, the
leader of the Communist faction, Pyotr Kravchenko, Chairman of the Committee
on Foreign Affairs, his Deputy - Anatoly Lyebedko, and Vyacheslav Sharshunov,
a member of the Committee on Education, Science and Culture, took part
in the session of the Interparliamentary Assembly of the Council Of Europe
held in Strasbourg. Belarusian MPs met with Lenny Fisher, the Interparliamentary
Assembly President, with Daniel Tarshis, Secretary General of the Council
of Europe, and also with the parliamentary delegations from Poland, Russia,
and Ukraine.
***
The composition of political factions of the Supreme Soviet has changed.
Deputies Vladimir Pletukhov and Ruslan Ignatischev left the faction the
Byelorussian Party of Communists. Deputies Semyon Domash, Vasily Skok,
Vladimir Savichev, Grigory Prokopovich and Victor Tereschenko have left
the «Soglasyie» [Agreement] faction. Deputy Gennady Tyerenya became member
of «Civil Action» faction. Today five Supreme Soviet factions number 181
MPs out of the total of 199 deputies.
***
The first meeting of the Interparliamentary Committee (IPC), established
in accordance with the Treaty between the Republic of Belarus, the Russian
Federation, the republic of Kazakhstan, and the Kirgiz Republic, on deepening
the integration in economic and humanitarian spheres. The delegation of
the Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Belarus headed by Semyon Sharetski,
Chairman of the Supreme Soviet, took part in the IPC meeting. A.Matubraimov,
Chairman of the Assembly of People’s Representatives of the Kirgiz Republic,
was elected Chairman of the IPC. The bodies of the IPC were set up, the
members of its Bureau approved, and the first meeting of the Bureau was
held. It was decided to establish the following four permanent committees:
on legal problems, on economy and finance, on social and humanitarian problems,
on foreign relations and security. Draft Statute of The Interparliamentary
Committee, and its temporary Regulations were approved. St Petersburg was
declared the seat of The Interparliamentary Committee. The participants
of the meeting also discussed what practical measures be taken to effectuate
the Treaty. They adopted a program of urgent measures for harmonizing and
standardization in the national legislation of the four countries.
***
Over seventy members of the deputies’ factions of Agrarians and Communists,
«Labor Union», «Civil Action» that proposed their own package of amendments
to the 1994 Constitution to be put to the referendum, expressed their readiness
to repeal it. They were motivated by their desire to find a compromise
in the present situation, and by their hope that Alexander Lukashenko,
the President of the Republic of Belarus (and another initiator of the
referendum) would follow their example and repeal his variant of amendments
to the Constitution. It would be possible to begin the work of a special
constitutional commission after that.
***
A regular meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Commonwealth
of the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation began its work on
September 30,1996. Belarusian and Russian MPs discuss the problems of stimulating
the work of the Parliamentary Assembly, the ways of further standardization
and systematization of the legislation in both countries.
Translator’s remark: Some newly independent republics changed their
names after the collapse of the Soviet Union. That is how Byelorussia (adj.
Byelorussian) turned into BELARUS ( adj. BELARUSIAN) which are official
variants of translation. Sometimes you may come across - in modern publications
- the name of the former part of the USSR, which is either accidental,
or reflects the political views of the author or translator. (A.D.)
Prepared by M.Danilovich,
Translated by A.Devkin, Dr. Philology
. .
S. SHARETSKY,. - .
Chairman of Supreme Soviet, personal . Home page
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G. KARPENKO, .personal .
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