The purpose of the meeting, according to Deputy Chairman of the Standing Committee on Human Rights, National Relations and Mass Media Oleg Romanov, was to inform the most active representatives of civil society about the tasks currently being addressed by the House of Representatives, the bills being prepared and soon to be adopted, and the most important laws already passed and working for the benefit of the country and its people.
Such meetings are important because MPs are not only legislators but also representatives of the people, who must always provide feedback to their constituents and report on what they have done and plan to do. They also need to receive instructions from voters and information about problems that need to be solved in the interests of the people, the MP believes. «Of course, all of this is done not only by MPs, but in close and direct cooperation with the executive branch. We help each other and strengthen the potential of each branch of government. That is why, as the president says, power in Belarus is not divided into branches or parts, but is a single whole working for the benefit of the people and the country,» Oleg Romanov added.
«By delving into the pressing problems of voters and residents of our city, we try to solve them not just through correspondence with the executive branch or administrative procedures, but by getting to the heart of the matter on the spot. We invite specialists from various fields. Sometimes we just need to guide a person in the right direction to resolve an issue as quickly as possible,» said Andrei Anisimov, an MP from Grodno-Leninsky constituency No. 51.
An important part of an MP work is engaging with labor collectives and young people, the parliamentarian noted. This is a direct way to learn what they think about their city, how they plan to build their life programs, and how they can help society, the city, and the country in general. «Each of us runs a Telegram channel where we cover our activities, work in the constituency, in parliament, participation in field sessions, and work in standing committees. These are dynamic times, and many people, especially young people, are constantly online, so the speed of information delivery and response is very important, and we try to act quickly,» Andrei Anisimov explained.
According to the MP, housing and utilities issues remain at the top of the list of appeals. Due to weather conditions, people have been contacting authorities about flooding damage, and all issues are being resolved. «If prompt assistance is needed somewhere, a simple call to the relevant services is usually enough, and they respond without the need for written requests. This applies to landscaping, roads, transport, and other issues. Cooperation is well established in the interests of the people,» the MP said.
Member of the Standing Committee on National Security Mikhail Oksenyuk stressed that in their work, MPs must rely on people and involve them in solving issues together. «The result will be valued much more highly if it is achieved through joint efforts,» he believes. «There are many such examples in the constituency, including clean-up days, clearing the bed of the Lososyanka River, and tree planting in the park. Proposals are made at meetings, and they are then passed on to local authorities and taken into account in their work, for example, regarding the arrangement of bus stops and the extension of public transport routes. It is important that people raise issues not only about their own immediate concerns, but also about socially significant topics.»
«Today’s meeting is organized so that the leadership of the House of Representatives has another opportunity to assess the work of MPs elected from Grodno and part of Grodno Oblast, as well as their interaction with executive authorities, public organizations, and residents of our city and region,» said Yelena Potapova, Deputy Chairperson of the Standing Committee on State Building, Local Self-Government, and Rules of Procedure.
The city’s public activists, in turn, have the opportunity to learn more about the work of the House of Representatives and voice their proposals. This is a time to fully and informatively convey what the House of Representatives is doing today, and to discuss new bills, norms, and working mechanisms.
The visit program included a tour of the ZOV company’s enterprises, the very collective that nominated Yelena Potapova as a candidate for MP. It is a well-known furniture manufacturer whose products are successfully sold far beyond the country’s borders. The conversation with the workers is also aimed at assessing the performance of their elected representative.
The program also included visits to sites of historical and cultural significance that are attractive to tourists, whose numbers in Grodno are steadily growing. These include the New and Old Castles and the Neman embankment, where reconstruction is underway and is scheduled to be completed by Grodno’s 900th anniversary in 2028.
