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Belarus: Legislative Branch

The last session of the former Supreme Soviet ended in March 1995. Parliamentary elections were held in December 1995 and the 197 newly elected deputies resumed functions on 9 January 1996. Lukashenka restructured the parliament into a bicameral legislature, the National Assembly, after the referendum held on 24 November 1996. According to the new constitution, the House of Representatives, the lower house, must have 110 members from the former parliament. Some members of the dissolved Supreme Soviet have continued to meet and claim that they represent the legally constituted legislature of Belarus.

Sources:

[1] Ustina Markus, "Belarusian President Sets Up New Parliament,' OMRI Daily Digest, 27 November 1996.

[2] Interfax, 20 December 1996, in "House of Representatives Finishes First Session," FBIS-SOV-96-247.

 

COUNCIL OF THE REPUBLIC: UPPER HOUSE OF NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

The first session of the 58-member Council of the Republic was held on 13 January 1997.

[Ustina Markus, "Political Appointments, Dismissals in Belarus," OMRI Daily Digest, 13 January 1997.] {Entered 1/14/97 LBN}

 

Speaker: Pavel Shypuk, elected 13 January 1997.

Deputy Speaker: Tamara Dudko, elected 13 January 1997.

["The Upper House of the Belarusian Parliament Opened Its First Session," Press Release, Embassy of the Republic of Belarus to the United States of America, 15 January 1997.] {Entered 1/16/97 JL}

 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: LOWER HOUSE OF NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

Chairman of the House: Anatoliy Malofeyev

[Press Release, Embassy of the Republic of Belarus to the United States of America, 19 December 1996.] {Entered 1/14/97 LBN}

Deputy Chairman: Uladzimir Mikalayevich Kanakplyow (Vladimir Konoplev)

[Viktar Kharoshka, "For Me, Election to My Post Is an Advance For the Future, which I should Work Off to the Last," Narodnaya Gazeta, 14-16 December 1996, p. 1; in "Parliament Deputy Chairman Views Tasks," FBIS-SOV-96-245, 16 December 1996.]

State Committees/ Commissions/ Agencies

 

BORDER GUARDS

Deputy Chief of Staff: Aleksandr Konskiy

 

COMMITTEE FOR STATE SECURITY (KGB)

Chairman: Leonid Yerin

Yerin was the Chief of the Presidential Security Service prior to his appointment as KGB Chairman.

["Belarussian President Dismisses Security Chiefs," Interfax, No. 3, 27 November 2000.]{Entered 12/6/2000 RG}

 

NATIONAL CONTROL AND INSPECTION AGENCY

The Council of Ministers created the NCIA in June 1992 pursuant to Resolution No. 359.  This government agency handles a variety of tasks in implementing international disarmament and arms control treaties.  Its responsibilities include:

Assisting foreign inspectors on Belarusian territory in their various activities, including audits of the use of materials and technology received from the United States as part of Nunn-Lugar program; [1,2] (However, the security of foreign inspectors and observers working in Belarus is the responsibility of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the KGB.[2])

Ensuring nuclear security over Russian strategic forces stationed in Belarus;

Acting as the Belarusian information and communication center for international treaties;

Maintaining the communications station for information dispersal;

Assisting the drafting of international treaties on disarmament and arms control;

Planning military and logistics cooperation with other countries according to international agreements; [1]

Implementing Belarus's obligations under the INF, START, and ABM treaties;

Planning and analyzing inspection activities at home and abroad. [2]

 

A 24-hour single-channel communication link exists between the NCIA and the US National Nuclear Threat Reduction Center.  Commissioned 31 August 1993 with $2.3 million in US funds, this information exchange link monitors proliferation threats in Belarus.[1]

Sources:

[1] "National Control and Inspection Agency-Verificiation Organ of the Republic of Belarus," Vektor, January 1997, pp. 8-9. {entered 2/9/98 djw}

[2] Belapan, 13 August 1999; in "Belarus Approves Statutes on Arms Control Agency," FBIS Document FTS19990815000479. {Entered on 12/7/00 by IPZ}

 

NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL

Permanent Members are as follows:

President: Aleksandr Lukashenka

State Secretary: Ural Latypov

Prior to this appointment, Latypov was the Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister.

["Belarussian President Dismisses Security Chiefs," Interfax, No. 3, 27 November 2000.]{Entered 12/6/2000 RG}

Prime Minister: Syarhei Linh (Sergey Ling)

Minister of Defense: Lieutenant General Leonid Maltsev

Appointed by President Lukashenko on 28 March 2001, Maltsev replaced Colonel General Aleksandr Chumakov. Maltsev is a graduate of the Kiev General Army Command College, the Frunze Military Academy, and the General Staff Academy. Maltsev served in various military leadership positions, and in 1992 became First Deputy Commander of the Belarusian 28th Army. From 1994 to 1995, Maltsev was Chief of Staff of the Belarusian Armed Forces, and then served as Defense Minister from May 1995 to November 1996, when he was fired for alcohol abuse. Prior to his current appointment, Maltsev was First Deputy Head of the CIS Military Cooperation Coordination Staff and Deputy State Secretary of the Security Council.

["Belarussian President fires DM, reappoints his predecessor," Agentstvo voyennykh novostey, 28 March 2001; in "Belarusian president fires defense minister," FBIS Document CEP20010328000215.] {Entered 6/8/01 RG}

Head of the Analytical Research and Prognosis Division: Anatoliy Tozik

Head of the Control and Inspection Division: Sergey Konsavenko

Head of the Emergency Division: Yuriy Sivakov

National Security Council Staff: Aleksei Podolinsky

Sources:

[1] "Update 1995 Foreign Guests," Department of Commerce, Bureau of Export Administration, 11-12 April 1995.

[2] NISNP Discussions with Belarusian official.

 

STATE COMMITTEE FOR SUPERVISING INDUSTRIAL AND NUCLEAR SAFETY (PROMATOMNADZOR)

Please see the entry under the Ministry of Emergency Situations and Chornobyl Affairs.

 

STATE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Chairman: Ivan Terechko

["Government Structures And Political Figures," Miles Away Web Site, http://miles.monterey.edu/POLITICS/governm.html, 16 April 1996.]

 

STATE CUSTOMS COMMITTEE

Chairman: Petr V. Krechko

Head of Export Control Department: Sergey Vladimirovich Samtsov

[Participant List for the US-Belarus Legal Task Force, a Joint Project of the Lawyers Alliance For World Security and MIIS.]

Inspector: Mikhail Vladimirovich Nikanovich

[Los Alamos National Laboratory, August 1993.]

Technical Department:

Chief: Sokolovskiy

Head: Aleksandr L. Romanovsky

Sources:

[1] NISNP discussions with A. Mikhalevich, April 1995.

[2] "Update 1995 Foreign Guests," Department of Commerce, Bureau of Export Administration, 11-12 April 1995.

Last updated 18 June 2001

 

Comments or questions? Contact Michael Jasinski at MIIS CNS: Michael.Jasinski@miis.edu

This material is produced independently for NTI by the Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of and has not been independently verified by NTI or its directors, officers, employees, agents. Copyright © 2002 by MIIS.

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