National Assembly of Belarus

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National Assembly of Belarus

Нацыянальны сход Рэспублікі Беларусь
Национальное собрание Республики Беларусь
National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus
Coat of arms of Belarus (2020).svg
Type
Type
Bicameral
HousesCouncil of the Republic
House of Representatives
History
Founded11 November 1996
Preceded bySupreme Council of Belarus
Structure
Seats174 members
110 representatives
64 councilors
Belarus Council of the Republic 2019.svg
Council of the Republic political groups
Government (63)
  •   Independents (46)
  •   Communist Party (17)

Critical support (1)

Belarus House of Representatives 2021.svg
House of Representatives political groups
Government (100)

Support (9)

Critical support (1)

Elections
Council of the Republic voting system
Indirect election by regional assemblies, Appointment by the President of the Republic
House of Representatives voting system
First-past-the-post
House of Representatives last election
17 November 2019
Meeting place
House of Representatives of Belarus.jpg
Government House, Minsk
Website
www.house.gov.by
www.sovrep.gov.by
Politics of Belarus
Coat of arms of Belarus (2020).svg
Constitution
Head of state
Executive
National Assembly
Judiciary
Administrative divisions
Elections
Foreign relations
Flag of Belarus.svg Belarus portal
  • Other countries
  • v
  • t

Coordinates: 53°53′46″N 27°32′41.2″E / 53.89611°N 27.544778°E / 53.89611; 27.544778

The National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus (Belarusian: Нацыянальны сход Рэспублікі Беларусь, Nacyjanalny schod Respubliki Biełaruś; Russian: Национальное собрание Республики Беларусь, Natsionalnoye sobran'ye Respubliki Belarus) is the bicameral parliament of Belarus. The two chambers of the National Assembly are:

While each chamber has specific duties, both chambers have the ability to veto the decrees of local administrations that deviate from the Constitution of Belarus.

The chambers of the National Assembly are convened to two regular sessions every year: the first session opens 2 October and its duration cannot be more than 80 days; the second session opens 2 April and does not last more than 90 days.

The House of Representatives and the Council of the Republic may be convened to an extraordinary session. Extraordinary sessions are convened under a particular agenda upon an initiative of the President or upon a request of at least two-thirds majority of the full membership of each of the chambers.[1]

Any bill must be initially considered in the House of Representatives and then in the Council of the Republic.

In practice, the National Assembly has little real power. The Belarusian political system concentrates nearly all governing power in the hands of President Alexander Lukashenko. Notably, the National Assembly has little control over government spending; according to the Constitution, any bill that increases or decreases spending can only be considered with presidential permission. Presidential decrees have greater weight than ordinary legislation. However, since it took its current form in 1996, the National Assembly has been dominated by Lukashenko's supporters in any event, and there is no substantive opposition to presidential decisions.[2][3]

Its predecessor was the Supreme Council of Belarus (until 1996).

Sources[]

  1. ^ "Парламент – Национальное собрание Республики Беларусь". www.pravo.by. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
  2. ^ Wilson, Andrew (6 December 2011). Belarus: The Last European Dictatorship. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0300134353.
  3. ^ "Why Does Europe Engage With Belarus's Rubber Stamp Parliament?". Archived from the original on 2017-07-26. Retrieved 2016-08-25.
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