Rubber-stamping parliament on strike: Belarusian MPs play truant (video)


Only 33% of Belarusian MPs remember when they should usually hold meeting with their voters. Civil campaign ‘Tell the Truth’ is in search of people’s representatives who really fill their collars: the activists sent the deputies letters containing a number of questions. Only three of them answered. So, who are sitting in the lower house of Belarus’s parliament?

In our country mayors, governors, judges, other officials are appointees. The Belarusians elect the president and members of the House of Representatives and local Soviets. But are the people aware of their right to turn to them for help?

English subs:

{movie}Deputies on strike (ENG subs)|right|16278{/movie}

MINSK RESIDENTS:

‘I have never known we have deputies here!’

‘I never wanted to know it, and do not want to know now. I did not participate in voting.’

‘I do not believe deputies – it is not them who take decisions.’

‘We are not interested in it at all. Let it be as it is.’

The voting public do not care about their elects; most deputies are out of touch with their own visiting hours. Maybe they are just saving time for legislative work?

ULADZIMIR NAVASIAD, ex-MP:

‘For the last 14 years only one bill was drafted and placed before the House by a deputy – it was a draft law on civil alternative service which was developed by liberal youth organisation Civic Forum. Other bills were simply put to a vote: they were handed down from the government and the presidential administration.’

Activists of Tell the Truth civil campaign are going to meet with deputies. If anyone does not find time for such a meeting, the activists will inform the Belarusians of these cases. They also suggest the deputies’ office hours should be posted on the official website of the House of Representatives: at the moment its work is like a kind of strike, they say.

TATSIANA KARATKEVICH, Tell the Truth:

‘The fact that they do not work and the fact that most of them fail to meet the voters – we don’t know where they are – give rise to a suggestion that they are on strike.’

While most deputies are striking at the parliament, Belarusian voters boycott them every day. Citizens are highly unlikely to consult those who just press buttons even if their office hours are known.

Usevalad Shlykau, In Focus

www.belsat.eu/en

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