Plans to allow Constitutional Court to check results of elections, president impeachment

MINSK (BelTA) – There are plans to vest the Constitutional Court with the right to check results of elections and the presidential impeachment process, BelTA learned from Natalya Karpovich, Deputy Chairwoman of the Constitutional Court, member of the Constitutional Commission, during the commission's session on 16 June.

Natalya Karpovich said: “We believe there are constitutional reasons and an objective necessity to determine the Constitutional Court's role in presidential and parliamentary elections. We suggest the Constitutional Court should be given the right to check the constitutionality of an election.”

In her words, the Constitutional Court may also be given the right to make conclusions regarding the observance of the due process during a presidential impeachment prompted by high treason or another grave crime. “The Constitutional Commission has already discussed the matter of transferring authority from the parliament to the Belarusian People's Congress with regard to impeachment, which is the possible removal of the president from office due to the specified reasons. It has been suggested that the Constitutional Court should be given the right to make a conclusion about the constitutionality of the president impeachment process,” Natalya Karpovich said.

The sixth session of the Constitutional Commission is in progress today. Constitutional provisions concerning the court system are being discussed.