Since mid-May, since 1994, the sovereign holiday Constitution Day of the Republic of Belarus has been celebrated annually. The adoption of the basic law is important for citizens and is the framework that determines the development of a socially oriented and legal state. To date, the current document after amendments through referenda held in November 1996 and October 2004 has 9 sections and the introductory part is the preamble.
The concept
The concept of the word comes from Latin and means structure / establishment. The document is the central law of the country, fixing the organization of power and determining the principles of the social system, the form of government and the standards of social behavior of citizens.
In the formal aspect, the constitution is considered as a set of acts having the highest legal force. In this regard, an alternative name is often used - the Basic Law. In the texts of the previous constitutions of the republic, a replacement for the accompanying name was used. At present, the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus has such an anonomy only in the preamble.
The main document for the state consolidates and defines two important points:
- A guarantee of the rights and freedoms of its citizens.
- Organization and form of state power.
The Constitution is adopted following the results of political confrontations and is a compromise between the ruling parties and the opposition.
Constitution Day of the Republic of Belarus, or a chronology of events
The first socialist constitution was adopted back in 1919 and expressed ideas related to the interests of the working class.
After eight years, at the next All-Belarusian Congress, they approved the second Basic Law, which determined the republic’s accession to the USSR.
The third constitution of the socialist trend was adopted in February 1937. It marked the transition to the delimitation of power into 3 components: judicial, legislative and executive.
The adoption of the fourth Basic Law of Soviet Belarus in 1978 was the adoption of a constitution in the USSR the previous year. The main vector of development was chosen socialism and the construction of a nation-wide state.
The fifth document of the Republic defining the foundations of the state and society, the rights and freedoms of citizens was the 1994 Constitution of Belarus. And now on May 15 (the adoption date), a holiday is annually celebrated - Constitution Day of Belarus.
Supreme Council Declaration - First Step Towards Sovereignty
July 27, 2015 will be exactly 25 years from the date of adoption of the important document that became the basis for writing the fifth constitution of Belarus - the Declaration on State Sovereignty. Until August 1991, the regulatory act was advisory in nature. And on August 25 of the mentioned year, the Declaration adopted the official status of constitutional law. A month later, the BSSR was renamed the currently known Republic of Belarus. New state symbols are also adopted: the flag and coat of arms, and later the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus and the civil passport.
The value of the document is enormous; it clearly defines the ratio of the despotic powers of the Union and the republic. From now on, the laws of the republic, and not the USSR, had supremacy in Belarus.
The importance of the event was determined by the Supreme Council by the proclamation of July 27 as Independence Day. By referendum of 1996, the celebration was postponed to July 3.
The main features of the new Constitution, different from previous documents
In 1994, 236 people voted (with a quorum of 231), and the Constitution was adopted. The Basic Law of the Republic of Belarus was signed by M. Grib - the chairman of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Belarus - and after publication in the press on March 30, adopted the status of an official document.
Distinctive features of the 1994 Constitution:
- Independence from the influence of the communist party.
- Securing the diversity of ownership.
- The definition of equality of citizen and state.
- Consolidation of generally established principles of international law as the basis for the formation of current legislation.
- Direct regulatory impact of constitutional norms.
Structure of the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus
The fundamental law groups constitutional norms into sections and chapters. The introductory part, as in most constitutions, is represented by the preamble, which formulates the principles that the people and government should adhere to in the process of social development and state building.
The first section defines the foundations of the constitutional system and defines BR as a democratic, legal, unitary and social state. Section two is intended to establish the rights, duties and freedoms of a citizen and a person. The third section describes the main provisions related to the electoral system. The fourth section is about state bodies and their powers: president, court, parliament and government. The fifth section sets out the powers, status of local government and self-government.
The sixth section is devoted to the prosecutor's office and the committee of state. control. The seventh branch of the Constitution is on financial and credit standards. Issues related to the operation of the Constitution are set out in section eight. The last, ninth section contains norms on final and transitional provisions.
The first and only president
The adoption of the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus determined the need for the election of the Head of State. In 1994, at the first general election of the post-Soviet era, Alexander Lukashenko was elected president. He firmly holds power over the state apparatus and economy to this day.
The referendum held in 1996 at the initiative of A. Lukashenko resulted in changes: the two-year term of the president’s board was reset, and now the countdown to the next election was determined from 1996; and the Supreme Council was reformed into a bicameral parliament called the National Assembly. In addition, the Head of State had the opportunity to appoint members to the Central Committee for the election and holding of referenda and six arbiters of justice to the Constitutional Court.
The result of the second referendum in 2006 was the removal of restrictions on the presidency no more than two terms. So, Alexander G. was able to run for the third time. The election victory in 2006 was achieved with a result of 83% of the vote.
The first, and so far the only, president of the republic won the fourth time in the 2010 elections. An excellent speaker, a calm and cruel politician, he leaves no one indifferent. Perhaps in November 2015, the people will hear the fifth oath from the lips of Alexander Grigoryevich.
National symbols as a sign of statehood
The first section of the main law of the republic says that the symbols of Belarus are the flag, coat of arms, anthem, and this is considered a sign of a sovereign state. The main colors of the national flag are red (2/3 of the width) and green. On the side, the canvas of the national symbol is decorated with a red ornament on a white background. On Constitution Day of the Republic of Belarus and other special occasions, the flag holder is decorated with a diamond-shaped tip with an image in the center of a five-pointed star, such as on the coat of arms.
The national emblem is a wreath of ears of clover, clover and linen, interlaced with ribbons of the same colors as the flag. In the center of the symbol are the borders of the republic above the globe and against the background of the golden rays of the sun.
Features of the celebration of Constitution Day
Although this holiday is considered a state holiday, in Belarus it is a working day, according to the Presidential Decree of 1998. A solemn ceremony of presenting passports of young people over the age of 16 from the hands of senior officials is held throughout the republic. On Constitution Day of the Republic of Belarus, exhibitions, quizzes, thematic discussions, competitions for the best performance of the anthem and other cultural events that raise the national spirit are held.
On the air of television and radio companies broadcast congratulations to the head of state - A.G. Lukashenko with a solemn speech to his citizens.
What public holidays are still honored in Belarus?
State holidays of the Republic of Belarus are established by Presidential Decree No. 157 of March 26, 1998. These are days that have a historical past and socio-political significance in the development of the Belarusian state.
The ridge of state celebrations begins on March 15 - Constitution Day. April 2 marks the unity of peoples associated with the signing of an agreement by guarantors of states on the creation of an alliance between Russia and Belarus. The holiday of victory, which, as in most countries, is celebrated on May 9, is not deleted or forgotten. Every year, on the second Sunday of May, a celebration is dedicated to national symbols: the coat of arms and flag. On the day of Belarus’s liberation from the Germans, namely July 3, an equally important event of a state scale is celebrated - Independence Day.
Of the entire list of public holidays, only Victory Day is considered a day off.