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Belarus GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
Government: Democracy, with president and
unicameral
legislature, Supreme Soviet, both popularly elected.
Government
composed of president and Cabinet of Ministers. Procuracy
headed
by prosecutor general. New constitution adopted March 28,
1994;
went into effect March 30, 1994.
Politics: Political parties and movements
generally
quite small. They include Belarusian Popular Front, Party
of
Communists of Belarus, Communist Party of Belarus, United
Democratic Party of Belarus, Belarusian Social-Democratic
Assembly (Hramada), Belarusian Peasant Party, Belarusian
Christian-Democratic Union, Slavic Council "Belaya Rus'",
and a
number of other parties.
Foreign Relations: Recognized by more than 100
countries (late 1992). Nearly seventy had some level of
diplomatic relations. First recognized by Romania.
Belarusian
diplomatic presence abroad limited. Relations with Russia
overshadow domestic and foreign policy. Relations with
Ukraine
weak. Relations with Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia
friendly.
International Agreements and Memberships: Member
of
United Nations (founding member), World Bank,
International
Monetary Fund, Commonwealth of Independent States,
Organization
for Security and Cooperation in Europe (until January 1995
known
as Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe),
North
Atlantic Cooperation Council, European Bank for
Reconstruction
and Development, and General Agreement on Tariffs and
Trade
(observer status). Declared ineligible for membership in
Council
of Europe because of election laws and practices.
Data as of June 1995
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