By Renaming Avenues, Lukashenka Violated Law Signed By Himself :: Charter'97 :: News

On May 7 Lukashenka issued a decree according to which the main Minsk avenues, Skaryna and Masherau Avenues, were renamed into Nezavisimosti (Independence) and Pobediteley (Victors’) avenues. However, as the “Komsomolskaya Pravda v Belorussii” notes, according to the Law (which is considered to be higher than the decree of the president) “On administrative-territorial division and procedure of decisions on administrative-territorial system of the Republic of Belarus”, signed in May, 1998 by Lukashenka himself, president cannot rename streets.

Within his capacity are oblasts, regions, cities: “president gives names (renames) oblasts, regions, towns subordinate to the oblasts, and their districts, as well as the districts of Minsk” (Article 8). And “naming and renaming of avenues, streets, squares and other parts of settlements is done by a corresponding local council of deputies with due consideration of the opinion of population of the given territory” (Article 15).