Official Website of the Republic of Belarus
Government
Belarus Events Calendar
Belarus’ Top Tourist Sites
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Belarus
Belarusian sanatoria and health resorts
Souvenirs from Belarus
| Home | Government | Events

Events

28 Sep 2021

Lukashenko: I will not run away

Lukashenko: I will not run away

MINSK, 28 September (BelTA) – Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed he had never run from anywhere and would not run away. The head of state made the relevant statement during an expanded session of the Constitutional Commission on 28 September, BelTA has learned.

Aleksandr Lukashenko made the statement in response to a remark by Vladimir Basko, a member of the Constitutional Commission, Director General of the science and technology association Infopark. Vladimir Basko said: “After you resign from the office of the president, I would very much like you to still try to remain the guarantor of independence of our state, the guarantor of tranquility and peace in our country.”

“Let me answer the question right away to discourage crazy thoughts: I have never run from anywhere and will not run away!” the Belarusian leader stressed.

Vladimir Basko thanked Aleksandr Lukashenko for the fact that he and his partisans had built the Belarusian state. “I am glad that I am a Belarusian. I am glad that my children are not going to move somewhere else for now,” he said.

Speaking about practical matters, the member of the Constitutional Commission noted that for all intents and purposes Belarus is managed like a large corporation and the president is personally involved in a lot of things. He suggested that approaches, which resemble the management of a corporation, should be implemented in the work of the Belarusian People’s Congress. “It could be viewed as kind of a supervisory board or a board of directors, which represents interests of shareholders. And people are the shareholders,” Vladimir Basko explained.

Certainly, he continued, the whole Belarusian People’s Congress cannot work like that. But it can have its own presidium that closely resembles the supervisory board. And the presidium will have its own chairman.

Vladimir Basko also suggested discussing the possibility of allowing the Belarusian People’s Congress to appoint top law enforcement, defense, and security officials while the presidium and its chairman could oversee these matters: “At least for a certain period of time. A new president. Insufficient experience. The willpower is unknown and so on. Control and proper oversight over the law enforcement, defense, and security branches are a guarantee of the transition period.”

Aleksandr Lukashenko partially backed the relevant proposals. “If we retain the presidential republic with strong presidential powers, the president is the commander-in-chief and these law enforcement, defense, and security officials must report to him,” he remarked. At the same time the head of state agreed that during the transition period until everything settles down, the Belarusian People’s Congress should have the right to interfere and make the relevant decisions. He reminded that the head of state’s impeachment for making wrong steps would be stipulated in the Constitution. “But not without rhyme or reason. The parliament, the Constitutional Court, the Belarusian People’s Congress [participate in this procedure]. Or the Belarusian People’s Congress will be convened in some exceptional cases to make the decision. But god forbid because all the powers will be concentrated in the president and the power vertical. And it will be a clash of the president with a strong power vertical with the Belarusian People’s Congress, which seemingly does not have something to rely on,” the Belarusian leader contemplated.

Archive
Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa
Great Patriotic War monuments in Belarus