Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus on Activities of Political Parties, Trade Unions, other Social Action Organizations (1999, as amended 2003) (English)
Unofficial translation
Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus
No. 2 of January 26, 1999 [Decree contains all the later amendments and alterations. Last amendments of this Decree: Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus No. 20 of Septermber 11, 2003]
For the purpose of regulation of activities of political parties, trade unions, other social action organizations, improvement of the control over these activities and in accordance with Part three of
Article 101 of the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus I decree to:
1. Perform the re-registration of political parties, trade unions, other social action organizations (hereinafter referred to as УassociationsФ unless otherwise specified) as well as their symbolism from February 1 till August 1, 1999. The social action organizations, the most members of which are legal entities shall be reregistered by January 1, 2000;
2. Create the Republican Commission for Registration (Re-registration) of Social Action Organizations, the composition of which is approved by the President of the Republic of Belarus;
3. Establish that:
- the registration and re-registration of political parties, republican trade unions, international and republican social action organizations and their unions (associaltion) and local social action organizations and thier unions (associations) shall be performed by the Ministry of Justice while the registration and re-registration of territorial trade-unions, local social action organizations, by departments of justice of executive committees of the oblasts, Minsk City Executive Committee on the basis of the conclusion of the Republican Commission for Registration (Re-Registration) of Social Action Organizations;
- there shall be at least 1000 founders (members) from the most oblasts of the Republic of Belarus and city of Minsk for creation and activities of a political party, at least 500 founders from the most oblasts of the Republic of Belarus and city of Minsk for creation and activities of a republican trade-union, at least 500 from the most administrative territorial and territorial units of the respective territory for creation and activities of a territorial trade-union, at least 10 per cent of the total number of persons working (studying) at the enterprise, institution, organization (but in any case at least 10 persons) for creation and activities of a trade-union at an enterprise, institution, organization and other place of work (education);
- legal entities are not allowed to be members of associations;
- should the legal address (location of body of management) of an association be changed, this association shall present all necessary documents to the registering body within one month for making amendments to its Statute;
- two and more associations of the same kind may create a union (association) of associations;
- activities of the associations, which are neither registered nor re-registered on the territory of the Republic of Belarus, are prohibited;
- the associations, which have not been re-registered and have not presented the documents required for re-registration to the re-registering body in the established order, shall cease their activities from August 1, 1999 unless otherwise provided by the present Decree;
- the associations, which have not been re-registered, shall be liquidated in the established order.
4. To approve the enclosed Regulation on the state registration (re-registration) of political parties, trade unions and other social action organizations.
5. The lists of the associations, which have not been re-registered, shall be published in the УRespublikaФ newspaper by the Ministry of Justice and in the respective local press by the departments of justice of executive committees of oblasts, Minsk City Executive Committee by October 1, 1999.
6. The Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus shall:
- submit the proposals for establishment of the responsibility for carrying-out activities on behalf of the associations, which are neither registered nor re-registered and for the failure to present the information of change of the legal address (place of location of the body of management) by them to the President of the Republic of Belarus within two months;
- take actions on bringing the legislative acts into accord with the present Decree.
7. The present Decree shall come into force from the date of signing thereof. It is temporary and shall be presented to the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus for consideration in accordance with the third part of Article 101 of the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus.
Approved
by the Decree of the President
the Republic of Belarus No. 2
of January 26, 1999