System of State Administration of the Republic of Belarus
The Constitution of the sovereign Republic of Belarus with supplements and amendments adopted on November 24, 1994 defines Belarus as a unitary democratic social law-governed state having supremacy and full authority on its territory, independently pursuing its domestic and external policy. The territory of the Republic of Belarus is a natural existence condition and dimensional limit for people’s personal identity, the basis of its welfare and sovereignty. The Belarus territory is inseparable and unalienable.
The constitutional system of the Republic of Belarus is a system of mature public relations, as laid down in the Constitution, which defines the responsibilities of governmental and public institutions, the principles of their interaction and the basic rights and liberties of citizens.
In conformity with the Constitution the Republic of Belarus is a unitary democratic social law-governed state, with its citizens being the only source of state power and the bearer of its sovereignty. The people exercise their authority directly through the Parliament, Councils of Deputies and other bodies formed by them by means of local self-government.
The state power in the Republic of Belarus is divided into legislative, administrative and judicial powers. Public bodies are independent within their power: they interact, deter and balance each other.
President
The President of the Republic of Belarus is the Head of State, the guarantor of the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus, the rights and liberties of man and citizen. The President’s responsibility is to take measures aimed at protecting the sovereignty of the State, its national security and territorial integrity. One of the main functions vested with the President is to ensure economic and political stability in the State.
The Head of State ensures continuity and interaction of the bodies of state administration, maintains intermediation among them. The President has the right of legislative initiative. The President issues decrees, edicts and instructions that have binding force in the entire territory of the Republic of Belarus. Under the Constitution, all the laws to be adopted must be signed by the Head of State. The President also resolves the issues with regard to the granting of the citizenship of the Republic of Belarus, the termination thereof and granting of asylum on the territory of Belarus. Any citizen of the Republic of Belarus by birth at least 35 years of age who is eligible to vote and has been resident in the Republic of Belarus for at least ten years before the elections may be elected President. The referendum of October 17, 2004 resulted in the abolishment of the provisions in Paragraph 1 of Article 81 of the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus, which restricted the period in office of President for the same individual to two consecutive terms.
Currently the President of the Republic of Belarus is Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko. On March 19, 2006 he was re-elected President of the Republic of Belarus for the third successive term.
Parliament
The National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus aka the Parliament consists of two chambers: the House of Representatives and the Council of the Republic.
The House of Representatives consists of 110 deputies who are elected in their respective constituencies and who represent interests of the citizens.
The Council of the Republic is the chamber of territorial representation. The Council of the Republic consists of eight deputies from every district and the city of Minsk, elected at the meetings of deputies of local Councils of Deputies of base level of every district and the city of Minsk by means of secret vote. Eight members of the Council of the Republic are appointed by the President of the Republic of Belarus. Any citizen of the Republic of Belarus who has reached the age of 21 may become a deputy of the House of Representatives. Any citizen of the Republic of Belarus who has reached the age of 30, and who has been resident in the respective region or the city of Minsk no less than five years may become a member of the Council of the Republic. The deputies of the parliament of the current, fourth, convocation were elected in 2008.
Law-making is the main function of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus.
Government
The government – the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus – is the central body of state administration in Belarus. Under the Constitution the Council of Ministers exercises executive power in Belarus, governs the system of state and executive bodies subordinate to it. In its activity, the government is answerable to the President and accountable to the Parliament. The Council of Ministers has the right to put forward legislative initiatives.
Local government and self-government
Citizens exercise local government and self-government through local councils of deputies, executive and administrative bodies, bodies of public territorial self-government, local referenda, assemblies and other forms of direct participation in state and public affairs.
Local councils of deputies, which ensure coordinated activities of all bodies of territorial public self-government, are the foundation of local self-government. Local councils of deputies are representative bodies of state authorities on the territory on the respective administrative territorial units.
The system of local councils of deputies comprises rural, village, town, district and regional councils of deputies. They are elected by the citizens of the respective administrative territorial units for a four-year term. Local councils of deputies independently form their bodies, define the structure of the bodies concerned and their powers.
Local government bodies include regional, district, town, village and rural executive committees.
Judicial system
Under the Constitution the judicial power in Belarus belongs to courts. The system of courts is based on the principles of territorial delineation and specialization. The judicial branch of power includes the Constitutional Court and a system of economic courts and courts of general jurisdiction. The Constitutional Court watchdogs the conformity of enforceable enactments to the Constitution. It is prohibited to set up emergency courts.
