MPs discuss parliament’s role in modern Belarus
11.11.2026
MINSK (
BelTA) – Representatives of the House of Representatives and the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus spoke about the role of parliament in modern Belarus at a press conference on 11 November, BelTA has learned.
Viktor Azarenok, a member of the Standing Commission on State Building, Local Self-Government and Regulations of the House of Representatives, recalled that the model of the current parliament was the result of the November 1996 referendum. According to him, the national vote laid the foundation for effective interaction between the branches of power under the coordinating role of the president. He stressed that the exercise of their powers by MPs of the House of Representatives on a professional basis made it possible to shift the main volume of legislative activity to the relevant standing commissions and increased the effectiveness of work on draft laws.
“Parliament is a state body that most fully represents the interests of various groups of the population. It is parliamentarians, like no one else, who must have a keen sense of society’s mood, know the needs of voters and work towards a single goal – building a state for the people,” Viktor Azarenok noted.
He also said that 42 working groups on cooperation with the parliaments of foreign states have been formed in the House of Representatives, and the main emphasis in international work is placed on the economic component. The heads of the parliamentary groups are involved in the work of 29 intergovernmental commissions on trade and economic cooperation.
MP of the House of Representatives Anzhelika Kurchak noted that over 30 years parliament has considered around 3,000 draft laws and adopted 28 codes that are in force today. Currently, 12 draft laws are under consideration in the House of Representatives. “Many adopted laws had no analogues in the Belarusian legal system or in foreign legislation, for example the law On Normative Legal Acts, the Code on Culture and the Electoral Code. It is obvious that the work of parliament is assessed not by the number of acts but by its social orientation, that is a distinctive feature of our legislation,” Anzhelika Kurchak stressed. She added that MPs traditionally submit the most significant innovations for public scrutiny in work collectives and at meetings with citizens.
Anzhelika Kurchak also noted that the 2022 constitutional reform led to an increased role for parliament as a representative body and a strengthening of its oversight functions. “The National Assembly is empowered to hear annually the information of the Prosecutor General, the Chairman of the State Control Committee and the Chairman of the Board of the National Bank on the results of their activities,” the MP stressed.
One of the key areas of parliament’s work is ensuring national security. Igor Pashkov, a member of the relevant standing commission, stated that in the conditions of a complex geopolitical situation, the protection of sovereignty and the constitutional order remains an unconditional priority. The MPs, in interaction with the security bloc, is adapting legislation to modern challenges. Recently, liability has been tightened for extremism, the financing of terrorism and calls for sanctions, and a legal framework has been formed to protect critically important facilities, information infrastructure and sectoral cybersecurity. Cooperation along the CSTO and SCO lines is also actively developing.
Alla Smolyak, a member of the Standing Commission on International Affairs and National Security of the Council of the Republic, stressed that Belarusian parliamentarism has deep historical roots. In her view, the institution of representative democracy in Belarus has gone through a centuries-long path of evolution. Today, representatives of both chambers of parliament act as a link between the regions and the center, responding promptly to citizens’ appeals.
Viktor Azarenok, a member of the Standing Commission on State Building, Local Self-Government and Regulations of the House of Representatives, recalled that the model of the current parliament was the result of the November 1996 referendum. According to him, the national vote laid the foundation for effective interaction between the branches of power under the coordinating role of the president. He stressed that the exercise of their powers by MPs of the House of Representatives on a professional basis made it possible to shift the main volume of legislative activity to the relevant standing commissions and increased the effectiveness of work on draft laws.
“Parliament is a state body that most fully represents the interests of various groups of the population. It is parliamentarians, like no one else, who must have a keen sense of society’s mood, know the needs of voters and work towards a single goal – building a state for the people,” Viktor Azarenok noted.
He also said that 42 working groups on cooperation with the parliaments of foreign states have been formed in the House of Representatives, and the main emphasis in international work is placed on the economic component. The heads of the parliamentary groups are involved in the work of 29 intergovernmental commissions on trade and economic cooperation.
MP of the House of Representatives Anzhelika Kurchak noted that over 30 years parliament has considered around 3,000 draft laws and adopted 28 codes that are in force today. Currently, 12 draft laws are under consideration in the House of Representatives. “Many adopted laws had no analogues in the Belarusian legal system or in foreign legislation, for example the law On Normative Legal Acts, the Code on Culture and the Electoral Code. It is obvious that the work of parliament is assessed not by the number of acts but by its social orientation, that is a distinctive feature of our legislation,” Anzhelika Kurchak stressed. She added that MPs traditionally submit the most significant innovations for public scrutiny in work collectives and at meetings with citizens.
Anzhelika Kurchak also noted that the 2022 constitutional reform led to an increased role for parliament as a representative body and a strengthening of its oversight functions. “The National Assembly is empowered to hear annually the information of the Prosecutor General, the Chairman of the State Control Committee and the Chairman of the Board of the National Bank on the results of their activities,” the MP stressed.
One of the key areas of parliament’s work is ensuring national security. Igor Pashkov, a member of the relevant standing commission, stated that in the conditions of a complex geopolitical situation, the protection of sovereignty and the constitutional order remains an unconditional priority. The MPs, in interaction with the security bloc, is adapting legislation to modern challenges. Recently, liability has been tightened for extremism, the financing of terrorism and calls for sanctions, and a legal framework has been formed to protect critically important facilities, information infrastructure and sectoral cybersecurity. Cooperation along the CSTO and SCO lines is also actively developing.
Alla Smolyak, a member of the Standing Commission on International Affairs and National Security of the Council of the Republic, stressed that Belarusian parliamentarism has deep historical roots. In her view, the institution of representative democracy in Belarus has gone through a centuries-long path of evolution. Today, representatives of both chambers of parliament act as a link between the regions and the center, responding promptly to citizens’ appeals.