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The proposed constitutional amendment was published on the official website of President Alexander Lukashenko and on the website of the Belta State News Agency, where he invited Belarusians to comment, make suggestions and comment on the changes.
Under the amendments Again, the head of state can only hold office for two five-year terms – This restriction was lifted before during Lukashenko’s presidency, But it will only take effect again if a new president is elected, so Lukashenko can be re-elected two more timesIf his current term expires in 2025.
And so Lukashenko paved the way for himself until at least 2035, when he will be 81 years old
Independent political analyst Valerij Karpalevich told AFP.
the draft extends the term of Parliament from the current four years to five years, and enters into the institution of the All-People’s Assembly of Belarus; The new government body will operate in parallel with the legislature. It also guarantees the immunity of former presidents In the lawsuit brought on the acts committed during their tenure.
Constitutional Amendment It will be put to a votescheduled for February. A referendum will be valid if more than 50 percent of voters support it with at least 50 percent of the turnout.
During Lukashenko’s twenty-seven-year presidency, three referendums were held in the former Soviet republic: abolishing presidential terms, amending the constitution, and reintroducing state symbols used in Soviet times.
An unprecedented wave of protests has rocked Belarus since the controversial presidential election last August. Lukashenko was elected with more than 80 percent of the vote for his sixth consecutive term, which was not accepted by the opposition and Western countries. Lukashenko brutally suppressed the protests, more than thirty-five thousand people were arrested, thousands were ill-treated by the police, and many fled abroad.
Karpalevich said the proposed constitutional amendments were drafted at the time of the protests, when it became clear to Lukashenko that he had “lost the support of the majority of the urban population”. According to the analyst The introduction of the institution of the People’s Assembly of Belarus is a contingency plan for the autocratic leader if he is forced to resign from the presidency.
Under the proposed amendments, the current president would automatically become a member of the 1,200-member People’s Assembly and could serve as chairman of the board if elected by the other members. The commission will meet at least once a year and will be responsible for developing policy guidelines, drafting bills, proposing constitutional amendments, and electing CEC and Supreme Court judges.
The People’s Assembly, on the proposal of the President of the Republic, allows the deployment of Belarusian troops abroad and the dismissal of the President if he is found guilty of treason or any other serious crime.
Karpalevich said the emergency plan had lost its relevance since the Russian-backed Lukashenko regime ousted the protest movement. “The proposed amendments serve a dual purpose: to allow Lukashenko to be elected president by 2035, and to remain in power as a potential speaker of the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly,” the analyst explained.
The amendments also affect the “neutrality” and “non-proliferation” of Belarus. Lukashenko had offered in November to accept Russian nuclear weapons if NATO deployed nuclear weapons from Germany to Eastern Europe.
Opposition leader Svyatlana Zhyhanskaya, who was Lukashenko’s opponent in August’s presidential election, criticized the planned constitutional amendments on Monday. Zyhanskaya, who fled to Lithuania, stressed in a statement posted on the Telegram messaging app that Belarusians were offered a choice between Lukashenko and Lukashenko. “We will not choose him as we did last year,” he added.
Cover Photo: Getty Images
