‘From own sources’: Coordination Council gets info on would-be amending Constitution
Representatives of the opposition Coordination Council (CC) say that they have received a draft of the amendments that the Belarusian authorities are going to move to the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus.
“In accordance with the document obtained from our sources, the authorities propose a number of changes that contradict the interests of Belarusians and the norms of international law. In addition, it does not include proposals to amend the political sections of the Constitution,” the statement by CC lawyers reads.
In particular, the amended Constitution would provide for:
- a ban on striking as a way of expressing political positions. It should be reminded that according to the labour law, Belarusian citizens have the right to strike only to resolve the labour conflict. At the moment, this norm is captured only at the level of the Labour Code, but now the authorities are set to enshrine it in the Constitution;
- removing the words about ‘free treatment in public health facilities’ from Art. 45, which may imply depriving Belarusians of the right to free medical care;
- deforcing of the right to guaranteed paid holiday once a year. Only the wording about the right to holiday might be left in the Constitution, without mentioning that it shall be paid;
- a ban on foreign funding of parties and trade unions
The priority of international treaties over the Constitution is expected be approved, the Coordination Council reports. Discussing the amendments is impossible without the authorities fulfilling three demands: putting an end to political persecution, releasing political prisoners, holding a free election, its members added.
In late October, Alyaksandr Lukashenka met with the head of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service Sergei Naryshkin in Minsk During the meeting, Naryshkin said that the protesters were trying to change the government by unconstitutional methods. According to Lukashenka, he managed to find a compromise with the opposition on this issue: the new version of the Basic Law would be adopted at a referendum. However, it was not specified with whom exactly from the opposition representatives the politician negotiated.
Lukashenka announced amendments to the Constitution of Belarus at the beginning of 2019. Imprisoned might-have-been presidential candidate Viktar Babaryka called for a referendum on the return of the 1994 Constitution back in the summer.
