The Republic of Belarus
The territory of the state - 207.6 thousand square kilometers. As of June 30, 2003, the population is 9 million 904 thousand 700 people.
The Republic of Belarus is a unitary democratic social and legal state. By form of government of Belarus - a presidential republic. On its territory, the Constitution of 1994 is in effect, with amendments and additions adopted by the people at a referendum on November 24, 1996. The basis of state administration is the principle of separation of powers: legislative, executive and judicial. The highest representative permanent legislative body is the Parliament, the National Assembly, which consists of two chambers, the House of Representatives and the Council of the Republic. The term of office of Parliament is four years. The composition of the House of Representatives - 110 deputies. The election of deputies to the House of Representatives is carried out in accordance with the law on the basis of universal, free, equal, direct suffrage by secret ballot. The Council of the Republic is the chamber of territorial representation. From each oblast and the city of Minsk by secret ballot, eight members of the Council of the Republic are elected at meetings of deputies of local Councils of deputies of the base level of each oblast and the city of Minsk. Eight members of the Council of the Republic are appointed by the President. The President of the Republic is the head of state, the guarantor of the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus, the rights and freedoms of man and citizen. The president is elected for 5 years directly by the people of the Republic of Belarus. Executive power in the Republic of Belarus is exercised by the Government - the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus - the central body of State administration.
The capital of the Republic of Belarus, Minsk, is the official seat of the coordinating bodies of the Commonwealth of Independent States. Here are the CIS Executive Committee, the Economic Court of the Commonwealth and a number of sectoral bodies of the Commonwealth.
The Republic of Belarus joined the Collective Security Treaty of May 15, 1992 in December 1993. It is a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, established in 2003 on the basis and in the development of cooperation within the framework of the Collective Security Treaty.
The President of the Republic of Belarus is LUKASHENKO Alexander Grigorievich.
