Łukašenka says people’s assembly added to Constitution to prevent 2020-like protests

November 8, BPN. The All-Belarusian People’s Assembly was given more powers under the Constitution in force since March 15 to stabilize our society, Alaksandr Łukašenka has told officials in Minsk.

“So that by no means will anyone lead to a repeat of 2020. It will be a strong stabilizer. Like I said, the street is not a place to discuss our society’s main problems,” Łukašenka said, as quoted by his the press office.

The head of state said he and the officials should not regard themselves as the main beneficiaries of the new legislation: “Our active life will end, but we will still live and see how the country is going to develop. So that we will not be ashamed before our children.”

Łukašenka recalled that he had amended the Constitution to make the chair of the Council of the Republic, not the prime minister, acting president in case the top official is unfit to perform duties.

“Personalities have nothing to do with it. The fact that the chair of the Council of the Republic organizes the election is more democratic,” he said. “If it is done fairly, especially the election of the head of state, the people will understand. Because that is what triggers all the protests, sanctions, uprisings and so on, as you see.”

The assembly, Łukašenka added, should be smoothly built into the system.

“The assembly should make one or two decisions, roughly speaking. But everyone should execute them. If, God forbid, there is a war . . . The All-Belarusian People’s Assembly makes a decision, and everyone aligns with it. That’s what was meant,” he added.

“My task is to leave the new generation a normal system of society and state management as a legacy. That’s the point. How long does it take the incumbent president and all of us to do that? As long as it takes,” Łukašenka said.

The government had announced a public discussion of legislation that is expected to govern the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly. The discussion drew to a close on November 2.