Belarusian authorities have presented plans for a new constitution. The changes appear to be intended to bolster Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko’s position and make it even more difficult for the opposition to gain power.
For example, according to the draft constitution, former presidents of Belarus cannot from now on be prosecuted after their term in office. Since independence from the former Soviet state, Belarus has had only one president: Lukashenko himself.
The constitutional amendment was announced a year ago by Lukashenko, in response to mass protests against his regime. For a long time it was unclear what exactly the change would entail. Critics saw the promise of a constitutional amendment as a way to nip the unrest in the bud, without having to make concrete commitments.
The constitutional amendment will be presented to the people in a referendum in February. According to observers and the European Union, previous referendums were fraudulent. It is therefore expected that the new constitution will be approved.
Maximum term on presidency
Among other things, the new constitution changes the rules governing the presidency. For example, future presidential candidates are barred from elections if they have lived abroad for some time in the past 20 years. That amendment appears to be aimed at excluding opposition politicians who have fled the country because of repression from participating in the election. Presidential candidates must also be at least 40 years old.
The draft constitution also sets a maximum term for presidents. After two elections, a president is no longer allowed to participate; however, a term is extended from four to five years.
Lukashenko is now serving his sixth term, but the counting of terms will start again after the constitutional amendment. The president could therefore “win” elections two more times if the constitution is passed. In theory, he can stay on until 2035, the year in which he will turn 81.
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