The second session of the 7th Belarusian People’s Congress will take place in Minsk this week, on 18-19 December. Preparations for this large-scale forum have been long and thorough. It was initially expected to be held in the spring; however, there is no need for haste in such matters, as treating such events, and this is one of the most important political events in the life of our country, as a mere formality is a path to nowhere. The Belarusian People’s Congress is set to approve the program for the country’s social and economic development for the next five-year period. Belarusian head of state Aleksandr Lukashenko will address the Belarusian people and parliament. Furthermore, delegates will need to resolve a number of personnel matters. What is known about the upcoming session, how do the authorities view the immediate future of the country, and what danger did the president warn about? We have gathered the key points about the event in this article.
The history of the Belarusian People’s Congress
The Belarusian People’s Congress needs no introduction. However, it was only a couple of years ago, in February 2022, that it received constitutional status, transforming from just a platform for brainstorming and discussing prospects into the highest representative body of people’s power in Belarus. Decisions of the Belarusian People’s Congress are now mandatory for implementation and can override legal acts of state bodies and officials if they contradict national security interests, with the exception, of course, of acts by judicial bodies.
The first Belarusian People’s Congress was held in 1996. It was a time of economic chaos and political conflict. Life demanded urgent decisions, and at that time, only the people had the right to decide their own fate, as Aleksandr Lukashenko stated.
However, there is an opinion that the history of the Belarusian People’s Congress began long before that. Historian Igor Marzalyuk recalled the ancient Belarusian veche, our age-old tradition of popular governance.
“The veche was a popular assembly, though participation was not universal. Initially, only adult married men with full legal capacity, who defended their country when necessary, meaning they bore arms, and owned property could participate. It’s important to understand that these were primarily heads of households. Later, representatives of the most important and significant clans took part. But the most crucial aspect was that this veche represented all strata, all groups of the free population (in this case, of the Polotsk land),” he explained.
Who becomes a delegate to the Belarusian People’s Congress
According to the law, the maximum number of delegates to the Belarusian People’s Congress is 1,200. These individuals are primarily representatives from all branches of government, local Councils of Deputies, and civil society, i.e. various social strata and groups within the country.
In this structure, representatives from the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of power, as well as deputies of the Minsk City Council of Deputies, are delegates to the Belarusian People’s Congress by virtue of their positions. Representatives from other local Councils of Deputies, as well as from civil society, are elected in the manner prescribed by law.
You can read about the individuals of the Belarusian People’s Congress, the ordinary people, in our dedicated section of the same name. We considered it important to introduce you to those who represent our country’s interests, to share their values, views, and what motivates the people involved in shaping Belarus’ future.
What was discussed at the first session of the 7th Belarusian People’s Congress
The first session of the 7th Belarusian People’s Congress was held in April 2024. Notably, this forum was conducted for the first time in its new status as a constitutional body, which determines the strategic directions for the development of society and the state and ensures the inviolability of the constitutional order, the continuity of generations, and civic accord.
