Prime Minister of Belarus


The prime minister of the Republic of Belarus is the head of government of Belarus. Until 1991, it was known as the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic as the head of the government of the constituent republic of the Soviet Union.
The prime minister leads the Council of Ministers of Belarus, the central government body, and is accountable to the president. The prime minister is appointed by the president of Belarus. Once the prime minister is appointed they form a 30-member cabinet which consists of ministers and chairmen, the latter of which is a non-ministerial post.
As Belarus is a dictatorship by president Lukashenko the prime minister has no real power or control over government affairs and it is ultimately under direct control of the president who has the real power over government and its activities.

Duties

The activities of the prime minister in managing the government include:
  • Signing government legislation
  • Inform the President on the basic guidelines of the government
  • Draft budget
  • Enforce a uniform financial, monetary, education, health care, and labour policy
  • Ensure the implementation of decrees and instructions of the president
  • To substitute for the president on temporary and absolute absences
The constitution was drafted by the Supreme Council of Belarus, the former legislative body of the country and is heavily influenced by Western constitutions. The constitution has been amended thrice under controversial circumstances since the original adoption, in 1996, in 2004 and in 2022. Two referendums that were disputed by independent observers and government opposition leaders increased the power of the presidency over the government and eliminated the term limits for the presidency.