Rejection of neutrality and nuclear-free status, a bias towards conservatism, the Russian language, new powers. What else is changing the Belarusian ruler.
The authorities in Minsk have published a draft of the new constitution of Belarus for “public discussion”. It is assumed that before the February referendum, amendments proposed by citizens may be made to the text.
The document, which the Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko, according to him, wrote himself, spelled out some changes in the structure of power and Russian as the state language. Correspondent.net tells the details.
Lukashenka wrote himself
The Belarusian authorities have submitted a draft of the country’s new constitution for public discussion. After that, the draft basic law will be submitted to a referendum, which, as President Alexander Lukashenko, unrecognized by Europe, promised, will take place at the end of February 2022.
The Constitution of Belarus was adopted in 1994. Lukashenko has already changed it twice (in 1996 and 2004), expanding his own powers. He periodically spoke about new amendments to the basic law since 2016, but after the protests in Belarus in 2020, this topic began to arise more and more often.
According to Lukashenka, they brought him several versions of the new constitution, but he rejected everything. In July 2021, the draft amendments to the basic law were even published, but Lukashenka ordered it to be finalized as well.
“The Constitution – I wrote it myself. Lawyers wrote with a pen, and I dictated, because I saw, I am the president, what powers I need to keep the country,” – this is how Lukashenka announced the new basic law of Belarus in early December.
He also announced that he will step down as soon as the country adopts a new constitution.
Major amendments to the constitution of Belarus
Limiting the President’s Terms. According to the text of the draft, one and the same person will be able to hold the post of President of Belarus for no more than two terms. The restriction will take effect after the newly elected president takes office.
Thus, Lukashenka, if he wins the next elections, will be able to become president for two more terms.
Expansion of powers of the president. The President of Belarus will be able to declare a state of emergency in case of attempted rebellion, “mass and other disturbances.”
Now this is possible in the event of a natural disaster, catastrophe, as well as riots with violence or the threat of violence, as a result of which there is a danger to the life and health of people, territorial integrity and the existence of the state.
Cutting the powers of the president. It is proposed to make the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly the highest representative body of power. The planned number is 1.2 thousand people. The term of office of one composition is five years. The meeting is chaired by the presidium with the chairman. Now this body is unconstitutional.
The All-Belarusian People’s Assembly, at the suggestion of the President, will agree to the use of the army abroad. The Prime Minister will report to him annually. He can assess the legitimacy of the elections.
In the event that the president violates the constitution or treason, it is the All-Belarusian Assembly that will be able to remove him from his post. According to the current constitution, this can happen only by a decision of two-thirds of both chambers of parliament and only in case of health problems and the president committing a serious crime, for example, treason.
Members of the assembly will hold meetings at least once a year and will be able to approve the main directions of domestic and foreign policy, military doctrine, concept of national security of the country, propose changes to the constitution and conduct republican referendums, as well as introduce a state of emergency “in the event of the president’s inaction.”
Without the president, the chief Security Council. In the event of the death of the President of Belarus as a result of an assassination attempt, terrorist act, military aggression or other violent actions, a state of emergency or martial law is introduced, and state bodies act in accordance with the decisions of the Security Council.
In this case, the speaker of the Council of the Republic (upper house of parliament) will preside. According to the current procedure, the president is replaced by the prime minister if he cannot fulfill his duties.
The inviolable and lifelong Lukashenko. According to the amendments to the constitution, the president, who has ceased to exercise his powers, has immunity, and he will not be able to be held accountable for the actions committed by him during his term in office.
The draft also says that the former president becomes a member of the Council of the Republic for life (with his consent) and is a delegate to the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly.
Nuclear and not neutral. It was decided to remove the reference to the neutral and nuclear-free status of the republic from the constitution of Belarus. About, what is the rejection of neutrality.
Now, article 18 of the Constitution says: “The Republic of Belarus aims to make its territory a nuclear-free zone, and the state neutral.”
This phrase was not found in the new version. Instead, the draft of the updated basic law states that Belarus excludes military aggression from its territory against other countries.
At the same time, there is no norm that Belarusian servicemen cannot carry out missions outside the country. Now, the SNC, at the suggestion of the president, can initiate a military operation abroad “to participate in ensuring collective security and activities to maintain international peace and security.”
If this project becomes the main law, then the borders for deepening military-political cooperation with Russia will be eliminated and there may be talk about the deployment of Russian nuclear missiles on the territory of Belarus, experts say.
Russian language. Russian will be the state language on a par with Belarusian.
History. Also, the constitution proposes to approve that the state “ensures the preservation of the historical truth and memory of the heroic deed of the Belarusian people during the Great Patriotic War.”
Elections without foreign money. It is also proposed to prohibit the financing of elections by foreigners and foreign organizations. The CEC of Belarus, according to the amendments, organizes the elections of the President, delegates to the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly, deputies of the House of Representatives and members of the Council of the Republic, deputies of the Councils of Deputies, republican referendums.
The chairman and members of the CEC are elected for a five-year term and dismissed by the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly.
Traditional family and obligatory patriotism. The draft amendments propose to consolidate marriage as a “union of a man and a woman,” while specifying that spouses “have equal rights in marriage and family.”
The document also says that parents have the right to prepare children for socially useful work, to instill culture and respect for the laws, historical and national traditions of Belarus.
The manifestation of patriotism, the preservation of the historical memory “of the heroic past of the Belarusian people” is also called the duty of all citizens in the project.
The undissolved parliament. The term of office of parliament, if a new constitution is adopted, will be extended from four to five years. It will not be possible to dissolve the parliament not only in the first year of its powers, as it is now, but also in the last one.
Lukashenka forever. What do the amendments to the constitution mean?
Alexander Dobrovolsky, adviser to the leader of the Belarusian opposition Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, called the appearance of the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly in the constitution the most significant innovation of the document.
“This meeting, which was conceived as an imitation of popular support in opposition to parliament, was used by Lukashenka for many years. Its holding did not comply with the Constitution, and the procedure for its formation was never transparent. citizens, “- said Dobrovolsky.
Many political analysts interviewed by the Belarusian media believe that the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly under Lukashenka or headed by Lukashenka should become a platform from which it will be possible to control political life in Belarus.
“The SNC does not issue laws, does not formally influence appointments in the government, does not fully replace the parliament and the president. Obviously, for the new constitution, I wanted to come up with some kind of control mechanism, which in case something goes wrong, the current authorities want to enter the political scene and resolve the situation in their favor, “political analyst Andrei Kazakevich told Zerkalo.
According to the Belarusian political analyst Artyom Shraibman, who was forced to leave the country for fear of criminal prosecution, “the new powers of the ANC are serious, but the president’s is even more serious.”
“Nevertheless, both sides have the potential for a hypothetical organization of a coup. any president will sooner or later want to get out of this umbrella, “- quotes his Kommersant.
All checks pale in front of the fact that the security forces and the executive vertical remain in the hands of the president, the expert notes. “In the end, he may simply not allow the VNS to gather, since for this it is necessary to gather in one place about a thousand people,” said Shraibman.
He is sure that Lukashenka sees himself in the presidium of the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly and intends to continue to influence the government even after leaving the post of head of state.
The modified All-Belarusian Assembly creates the preconditions for Lukashenko’s irremovability and lifelong power, he ceases to be associated with the electoral system – he cannot be elected by direct elections, nor can he be replaced in the same way while maintaining full power, and the powers of the president and parliament are significantly reduced. is talking Russian political scientist Andrei Suzdaltsev.
The members of the Presidium are, in fact, appointed by the same Lukashenka and thus are not connected with the electoral system either. At the same time, under the lifetime chairmanship of the head of the Presidium of the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly, the president cannot influence either the judges or the CEC, or make strategic decisions on the country’s development, Suzdaltsev notes.
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