Topic: “A strong leader is a guarantor of stability and security of the state: on the 30th anniversary of the Institute of the Presidency in the Republic of Belarus”
Our country is one of the youngest presidential republics out of more than 150 states. This institution was introduced in the Republic of Belarus 30 years ago. Today is an appropriate occasion to evaluate not only the present, but also the past of sovereign Belarus, in order to realize how unenviable the ”starting material“ was used to build an independent and sovereign country aimed at the future.
After the collapse of the USSR and Belarus gained independence, a time of economic chaos and political adventures, social turmoil and a spiritual crisis – the ”terror of universal poverty“ – came for the young Belarusian state.
Recalling this period, the Head of State A.G.Lukashenko оn June 22, 2016, in his speech at the fifth All-Belarusian People’s Assembly, he said: ”It was Belarus, as a producer of final products, that most acutely felt the consequences of the destruction of the unified national economic complex. Prerequisites were created for Belarus to be under external control. There were attempts to steal the tidbits of state property, and leave the people poor.“
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A Belinform (BelTA) note published in January 1994 seems incredible today: ”Last year there was an increase in violations of the rule of law by local Councils of People’s Deputies and their executive bodies. In just one half-year, 168 of them were identified … The reason for illegal actions is the deliberate disregard of laws by officials.“
Another example. The leadership of the Belarusian Popular Front, calling people to a rally on February 15, 1994 in Minsk, promised each participant one sausage (!). There were many people who wanted to receive free food (”frontline“ rations)…
In these ”dashing“ years, society more than ever needed a national leader who could lead the country away from the abyss.
On March 15, 1994, the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus was adopted. For the first time in Belarus, the Institute of the Presidency was established.
The first presidential elections of Belarus were held in the same year. Despite the unprecedented opposition of the ”administrative resource“, in the first round among six candidates, People’s Deputy A.G.Lukashenko won 44.82% of the votes. The 1994 election campaign was marked by attempts by corrupt nomenclature and nationalists to prevent the people from making their choice. As a result, a second round of voting was needed, following which A.G.Lukashenko was supported by 80.34% of voters.
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The mandate of the people’s trust of A.G.Lukashenko was convincingly confirmed in all subsequent presidential elections in 2001, 2006, 2010, 2015 and 2020.
However, in practice, the Supreme Council blocked many decisions of the Head of State aimed at overcoming the economic crisis. Therefore, A.G.Lukashenko appealed to the people, initiating amendments and additions to the Basic Law.
In 1996, at the second republican referendum, the draft Constitution proposed by the Head of State was supported by 70.5% of the total number of voters. The updated Basic Law, among other things, significantly changed the place and role of the President of the Republic of Belarus in the system of state bodies.
A completely different story has begun in the country: an era not of despair, but of creation and development. This is how the presidential republic was born, which allowed our country to achieve significant success in state and economic construction over the past thirty years. A.G.Lukashenko’s course on building a strong legal social state was fully justified and gave concrete results. First of all, thanks to the President’s constant appeal to the people on the most pressing issues.
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Since the adoption of the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus, four republican referendums have been held: May 14, 1995,
November 24, 1996, October 17, 2004 and February 27, 2022.
In 2022, during the discussion of amendments and additions to the Basic Law, most people were categorically against any restrictions on the power of the Head of State, who rallied truly patriotic forces in the struggle for independence and sovereignty.
Alexander Lukashenko has repeatedly spoken directly and openly about his presidency. As the Head of State stated on July 6, 2023 at a meeting with journalists, ”If you think that while in power, I received something excessive, and whether I received it at all, you are mistaken. Nothing like that. I work in a big, high position that the people have entrusted to me. I’m working. I don’t rule.“
Since the first years of A.G.Lukashenko’s presidency, people have called him ”Batka“ – for his closeness to the people, love for the Motherland, sincerity and openness. From time immemorial, it has developed in Belarus that the father is the first among equals. The government in Belarus of the XXI century is ”friendly“, ”human“, headed by a genuine national leader who knows how to stand firmly for his country and people.
The basis of the country’s achievements was formulated by the President of the Republic of Belarus back in 2006 during the third All–Belarusian National Assembly: ”Strong state power, strong social policy and reliance on the people – that’s the whole secret of our success.“
Concluding his speech at the seventh All-Belarusian People’s Assembly on April 24, 2024, the Belarusian leader said: ”Only we know what the future of Belarus should be, what our country should be, how to make it stronger… We have chosen a strong, sovereign, independent, peaceful Belarus. And in this difficult, contradictory time, we must stand up! We have to do this. Time has chosen us!“.
