Constitution of Belarus - Section Four: The President, Parliament, Government, The Courts

Section Four: The President, Parliament, Government, The Courts

Section Four, which is divided into four chapters, outlines the functions of the Belarusian Government, mainly the President of the Republic of Belarus, the Council of Ministers, the Parliament of Belarus and the courts. Although elected by the Belarusian people, the president must not be a member of a political party when he or she assumes office. The Constitution also lists official duties for various posts, such as the president being the commander-in-chief of the Belarusian Armed Forces. The section also describes procedures for situations where the president cannot continue duties or if the president dies in office.

Chapter Four lists the powers and duties of the Parliament of Belarus, which is called the National Assembly. The National Assembly itself is divided into two houses: the lower House of Representatives and the upper Council of the Republic. While each house has its own rules governing how members are elected, members decide on the various bills that could become Belarusian law and approve the nominations of cabinet heads that the president chooses.

The Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus, headed by the prime minister, is the body of officials that are heads of various ministries of the Belarusian government. The president appoints each member of the council, but the National Assembly must also approve each member. Council members stays on until their term as a minister is over or the president has been replaced.

The Constitutional Court of the Republic of Belarus is the highest court in Belarus. While other courts deal with civil or criminal issues, the Constitutional Court deals with matters involving the Constitution and the legality of certain laws passed by the government. The court has the power to declare any law unconstitutional. From April until May 2007, the Constitutional Court reviewed 101 laws and decrees; they were deemed to be constitutional. The court that deals with criminal law matters is the Supreme Court of Belarus.