To turn Belarus into a parliamentary-presidential Republic, to liberate private business, to return to the population of the canceled benefits, develop ties with Ukraine and the Baltic States… and not in a hurry to join the EU. Such a reform program offers a team of scientists and politicians, led by the leader of the Conservative Christian party “Belarusian popular front” Zenon Pazniak. On Monday, the Belarusian opposition presented the program “Free Belarus” in Warsaw. The presentation was visited by Alexander Papko.
The “Free Belarus” was created by a group of 9 scientists and leaders of the Belarusian opposition conservative views. 76 pages lists the reforms that, according to the authors, in the case of regime change need to take place in the political system, economy, educational and cultural spheres.
Belarus offered to make a parliamentary-presidential Republic where the President is elected by the people, but has a purely representative function. This system works well in neighboring Lithuania.
The creators of the program take into account the negative experience of countries that are unable to make a successful transition from Communist dictatorship to democracy — Ukraine, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan and Belarus in the late 1990’s. “One of the main objectives of the proposed political system — to prevent the restoration of an authoritarian regime”, — underlines one of the developers of the program, the doctor of political Sciences Pavel Usov.
In Belarus it is supposed to establish a very strong judiciary. It is planned to clearly define the powers of the President, and create a new on — Crisis Council, which meets at the initiative of the President of the constitutional court in the case of a political crisis. The Council has the right to decide on the dissolution of Parliament or impeachment of the President — says Pavel Usov.
Pavel Usov: This Council is formed by the Parliament and the Constitutional court from the political and moral authorities of Belarus. The Council shall meet only when there is constitutional mechanisms to resolve the political crisis. That Crisis the Council should develop a mechanism for conflict resolution. This is our innovation, there are no such institutions in any country. However, such a body is necessary because Belarus is quite a long time will remain a transient, not stable enough in the political sense of the country.
The reform program is “Free Belarus” provides for the pension reform, strengthening family support, and potentially increase defense spending. Taxes for social spending is to be reduced from current 36% to 20%. Where will the money for social policy?
The funds will be able to get from the revitalization business, the transfer of enterprises to a market economy and privatization — says one of the authors of the program Deputy of the Supreme Council of Belarus of the 12th convocation Yury Belenky.
Yuri Belenky: the Money is taken out of an efficient economy. Today the giants of the Belarusian industry, most of them unprofitable or marginally profitable. When the entities that need to fill the budget, bring back the money — this is nonsense! If there will be any reforms, there will be a restructuring of enterprises will be created effective entities, they will fill the budget. To Finance social programmes, need not such large amounts of money, as it may seem.
In the foreign policy team Paznyak offers to move away from political and economic dependence on Russia, to develop relations with Ukraine and Baltic countries, to create a Baltic-black sea community.
Zenon Pazniak: We intend to pursue a policy of creating a Baltic-black sea community. It is necessary to rely on Eastern Europe, on cooperation of Ukraine, Belarus, Baltic States. You need to have good relations with Poland — but she had already oriented itself in the European Union. Such cooperation has historical reasons, both economic and cultural. It is absolutely natural collaboration, especially important for the diversification of energy supplies. It is necessary to stop the criminal dependence on Russian energy supplies.
The Zenon Pazniak urged “not to rush to join the European Union.”
Zenon Pazniak: it is Impossible to go to the poor and on his knees. You need to go there, if we restore its economy, a strong middle class, restore its citizens and their culture. Then we can talk about participation in some economic organizations. Because then we could talk. The second very important reason is that the European Union is currently in a state of deep political and spiritual crisis. This is a very loose, amorphous structure, which is controlled by the bureaucracy. Bureaucrats don’t know what to do. They can’t cope neither with terrorism nor with the migration, or “Braxton”. In such a structure, which is threatened by conflict and the collapse, to start not worth it.
The changes in the country should make new and old officials, who worked in an authoritarian system, but do not violate norms of law and morality — a political analyst Pavel Usov. If the court proves that a particular person was involved in political persecution or election fraud, then he will be forbidden to be elected to the Parliament and to hold public office.
“If political change will hold unscrupulous, corrupt people, the reforms are condemned to failure”, — concluded the analyst.
