Balanced amendments to election laws ‘to the benefit of the Belarusian nation’

MINSK, 6 August (BelTA) – Amendments to election legislation should be balanced and should be to the benefit of the Belarusian nation instead of vain competition with other countries. President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko made the statement at the government session held on 6 August to discuss the improvement of election legislation, BelTA has learned.

Opening the session, the head of state remarked: “Just like we agreed in January, we are meeting one more time and discussing the improvement of election legislation. I believe today’s discussion will be the final one before the bill is forwarded to the parliament”.

According to Alexander Lukashenko, the bill reflects the proposals to optimize the election process that were voiced at the January meeting.

“Since the bill touches upon matters vital for the election system, the decision to forward it to the House of Representatives the way the bill is now should be thought through and through,” believes the President.

The head of state underlined that it is necessary to take into account all the possible consequences of the proposed measures and to clearly understand the mechanism for their implementation. “If we intend to loosen something, we should be confident that it will not negatively affect the stability in the country and the manageability of the situation during elections,” stressed Alexander Lukashenko. He remarked that lawlessness and lack of control are out of the question.

The head of state continued: “I know that some people disprove of several clauses of the bill. Amendments to the procedure for financing election campaigns of candidates have met objections. In particular, [amendments] to increase the size of electoral funds and the possibility to create them during the nomination of candidates for the presidency of the Republic of Belarus even before candidates are registered”.

This is why Alexander Lukashenko suggested the bill should be discussed collegially, including the clauses that had invoked disagreement among participants of the session. “We have gathered today in order to make balanced decisions that meet interests of the Belarusian state in full measure,” said the head of state.

The President asked: “Let’s not race ahead of time. Let’s try to keep up with events and particularly with the maturity of our society. And let’s resolve the issues that are available now without inventing some new ones by referring to new democratic or old democratic states and procedures”.

Alexander Lukashenko underlined: “We live in our own country. If there is a problem, a question, let’s deal with it. If there are no problems or questions, let’s not make up these problems and questions”.

Alexander Lukashenko remarked that there was one guideline: “Elections and other campaigns are held in Belarus for the Belarusian nation and in the name of this nation. And it is the Belarusian nation that has to resolve the problems that we will discuss today. We should do everything in a way the people, who live in our country, want it today. It is the ultimate point”.