The first session of the Council of the Republic of the 4th convocation started its work
On 31 October 2008 the first session of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of  Belarus of the 4th convocation started its work. In accordance with the Rules of the Council of the Republic Ms Lidia Ermoshina, Chairperson of the Central Commission for Elections and Nation-wide Referendums in the Republic of Belarus, opened the sitting. She informed the participants that 55 persons were elected to the Council of the Republic and one  member of the Council of the Republic was appointed by the President of the Republic of Belarus. According to her information 16 members of the Council of the Republic of the present Council of the Republic corps were members of the previous convocations, which testifies to the continuity of work of the Council of the Republic. 19 members of the Council of the Republic are women, which makes 34 per cent of the whole constitution of the Council of the Republic. One member is a Hero of the Republic of Belarus; 35 members have state awards; 12 — honorary titles; 12 — academic degrees and titles, including a corresponding member and an academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus; one member of the Council of the Republic is a recipient of the State Prize of the Republic of Belarus; one member is a recipient of the Prize of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus; four members are professors. 14 members of the Council of the Republic (25 per cent) are representatives of state bodies, 9 of them being heads of representative, executive and administrative bodies. 3 members of the Council of the Republic are university rectors.
On the ground of the decision of the Central Commission for Elections and Nation-wide Referendums in the Republic of Belarus the Council of the Republic adopted a resolution on validating the credentials of the Council of the Republic members and recognizing the authority of the first session of the Council of the Republic of the new convocation.
The main item on the agenda of the session was the election of the governing body of the Upper Chamber of the Parliament and the formation of the standing committees. Mr Boris Batura, Chairman of Mogilev Province Executive Committee, was elected Chairman of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus, Mr Anatoly Rubinov, former First Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Belarus was elected Deputy Chairman of the Council of the Republic.
The parliamentarians adopted a resolution on forming five standing committees in the Council of the Republic and  amended the Rules of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus.
The members of the Council of the Republic also elected the chairpersons of the standing committees. Mr Yevgeny Smirnov, First Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Economic Court of the Republic of Belarus, was elected the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Council of the Republic for Legislation and State Administration. Mr Vadim Popov, former Chairman of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus, was elected the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Council of the Republic for Economy, Budget and Finances. Ms Antonina Morova was elected the Chairperson of the Standing Committee of the Council of the Republic for Education, Science, Culture and Social Development. Mr Gennady Novitsky was elected the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Council of the Republic for Regional Policy and Local Self-Government. Ms Nina Mazay was elected the Chairperson of the Standing Committee the Council of the Republic for Foreign Affairs and National Security.
The Presidium of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus of the 4th convocation was also elected during the sitting of the session. Its members are Mr Boris Batura, Chairman of the Council of the Republic, Mr Anatoly Rubinov, Deputy Chairman of the Council of the Republic, and the chairpersons of the standing committees — Mr Yevgeny Smirnov, Mr Vadim Popov, Ms Antonina Morova, Mr Gennady Novitsky and Ms Nina Mazay. The deputy chairpersons and the members of the standing committees were elected as well.
In addition to that the parliamentarians considered the issue of the representation of the members of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus in the National Group of the Republic of Belarus in the Interparliamentary Union.
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