PACE’s decision was unexpected for Belarusian “MPs”

• 23.06.2009, 15:11

Valery Ivanou, deputy head of the “house of representatives” of the “national assembly” of Belarus, said the decision of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe was unexpected.

“It was a political decision,” Ivanou told in an interview to BelaPAN. “A legal decision will be adopted by the PACE Bureau in autumn. We have time work on this issue.”

The vice speaker reminded that a referendum was held in Belarus in 1996, and 80% voted against abolition of the death penalty.

He emphasized that “much was done in this direction”. According to Ivanou, “cases of using capital punishments have decreased several times”, the number of articles of the Criminal Code providing for this punishment has decreased two times.

To a question about perspectives of further rapprochement of Belarus and Europe, Ivanou said: “I don’t think efforts of the president on the rapprochement were vain. The death penalty was the only stumbling stone while positive steps were noticed in other directions.”

As we have already informed, PACE members voted for an amendment in the resolution on Belarus offering to restore the special guest status of the Belarusian “parliament“ for a year only after a moratorium on the execution of the death penalty is decreed.

The final legal decision will be adopted by the PACE Bureau at a session in Paris on September 7.