MINSK. June 30 (Interfax) - The upper chamber of the Belarusian parliament, the Council of the Republic, has approved a bill on the people's militia, the chamber's press service said on Friday.
"The bill has been approved by the Council of the Republic," the press service said.
The bills legalizes the implementation of the right of citizens of Belarus and other countries as well as stateless persons to voluntarily participate in ensuring martial law on Belarusian territory.
The bill regulates financial and material support for the people's militia, restrictions on recruitment to the people's militia, the procedure for managing the people's militia, and the formation, staffing and deployment of people's militia units.
The bill vests the government with the power to carry out preparations for forming the people's militia, establish the procedure of forming and disbanding the people's militia, staffing the militia, maintaining records on volunteers, and their recruitment and discharge from the militia.
The lower chamber of the Belarusian parliament, the House of Representatives, approved the bill on June 15. It has yet to be signed by the president into law.
Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin announced the possible formation of the people's militia on May 27. He said Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko set the task during a meeting on the development of the Belarusian Armed Forces.
"Territorial defense may play a decisive role in an armed conflict. Because armies win battles, while people win wars," Khrenin said.
The people's militia that will be formed in Belarus will consist of 50-member units from every rural community, Lukashenko said in early June.