National Assembly lower chamber should take initiative in setting presidential election date, says Representative Novosyad

2001-03-21 17:40:00

Minsk, 21 March. The lower chamber should take the initiative in setting the presidential election date without waiting for the Belarusian leader's reminder, House of Representatives member Vladimir Novosyad told BelaPAN on March 21. His comment came shortly after the House of Representatives Council decided not to place an election-calling resolution on the agenda of its next session scheduled to begin on April 2. "Parliament, if it seeks international recognition, should show that it can make independent judgments," Mr. Novosyad said. Not only Aleksandr Lukashenko but also other potential presidential candidates should know the election date in advance, he stressed. "The earlier the date is announced the more democratic and transparent will be the election," Mr. Novosyad said. He noted that some Representatives would insist on including the resolution in the agenda at the House of Representatives' first plenary session, while others would probably wait for Mr. Lukashenko to give a signal in his annual address to Parliament set for April 10. Representative Mikhail Sosonko told BelaPAN that the proposal to place the resolution on the agenda would be submitted to the House of Representatives Council on April 26 at the earliest. Mr. Sosonko said that the resolution should correspond with the Constitution and the Electoral Code, which specify the procedure of preparing and holding presidential elections. The resolution calling the election will be a formal document "to certain extent" and some Representatives, who lack experience, are exaggerating its significance in an attempt to get on television screens and newspaper pages, Mr. Sosonko said.