Belarusian MPs voted to amend the law on civil service so that holders of the Pole’s Card will be forced to either quit their jobs as civil servants or get rid of the cards. The controversial document – also called a Polish Card is issued by Polish authorities to those defined as members of Polish nation, but deprived of Polish citizenship or residency and living in the former Soviet Union.
The new law prohibits civil servants from accepting any privileges, as well as documents granting such benefits, from foreign states based on persons’ political views, religious or national background.
A Belarusian citizen who wants to work in a public administration will have to present all documents that grant him any privileges coming from a foreign state. Should the amendment become a law, the current employees of public administration will have to present such documents within one month after the law is implemented.
BielTA news agency informed that increasing dissemination of the Polish Card in Belarus became a trigger to adopt the new law. Obtaining such Card by a Belarusian citizen “is connected with accepting certain obligations towards Poland” – wrote BielTA.
Deputy Minister of Justice – Awa Bodak, said that the main objective of the new law is to implement instructions given by the Supreme Court. The ministry hopes that the law will also apply to the military, police, employees of Department of Financial Investigations and some other institutions.
In April, Belarusian Constitutional Court decided that certain aspects of the Pole’s Card violate the international norms and bilateral treaty between Poland and Belarus.
PAP/Belsat
