Opponents of Belarus' integration with Russia intend to create ‘Homeland Protection Group’
Protests against deeper integration with the Russian Federation continued in Minsk on Saturday, December 21. Even though the authorities did not approve the rally, no one was detained.
Just over a hundred people attended the demonstration. People were holding national white-red-white flags, shouting the slogans "long live Belarus!" and "No alliances with Imperial Russia." "No Union with the aggressor," said one of the posters of opponents of Belarusian integration with Russia
The protesters unanimously adopted a resolution accusing a "group of officials" led by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko of "betrayal and illegal peddling of the interests of the Belarusian people." They called for the creation of "Homeland Protection Group" throughout the country. Its task should be to inform people "about the danger of the “Russian occupation”. The protesters expressed hope that the group will gain authority in society and accumulate "forces to fight."
The rally was attended by Belarusian opposition politicians, including the organizer of the rally, co-Chairman of the Belarusian Christian-democratic party Paval Sieviaryniec. During the rally, he was reading clippings from the Constitution of Belarus about the sovereignty of the country.
Russia and Belarus have agreed to establish a unified Tax Code and Civil Code within the Union State format, the Russian newspaper Kommersant reports.
The program of economic integration between Russia and Belarus was signed at the beginning of September. The program envisages the partial unification of the two countries’ economic systems starting in January 2021.
This will involve a unified Tax Code, foreign trade regime and Civil Code, a unified record of property and similar social benefits, a nearly unified banking regulator, but with two central banks, a single regulator for the oil, gas and electricity markets, and a harmonized state regulation sector.
“The most important thing that is expected to be unified is the tax system: Within the Union State, Russia and Belarus are expected to adopt a unified Tax Code by April 1, 2021,” the newspaper notes.
Despite the fact that the document does not contain specific agreements on a unified budget or currency, the countries intend to partially unify their payment systems. The states also intend to introduce unified access to state procurements and a unified property record system.
In July, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko signed amendments to the Labor Code which envisage a contractual system of employment that gives employers virtually unlimited opportunities to fire their employees.
Employees now lack the right to resign voluntarily. Furthermore, employers are allowed to temporarily transfer their staff to other jobs for up to six months or to other employers.