The Belarusian opposition is worried that President Alexander Lukashenko intends to reform the country's constitution in a way that would suit him, Pavel Latushko, a member of the Belarusian opposition coordination council, said on Tuesday
MINSK (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 15th September, 2020) The Belarusian opposition is worried that President Alexander Lukashenko intends to reform the country's constitution in a way that would suit him, Pavel Latushko, a member of the Belarusian opposition coordination council, said on Tuesday.
Lukashenko has said that public discussions will be held regarding the draft project of the amended constitution before a referendum. In particular, the leader's proposals focused on court reforms and included the transfer of powers from the Federal to local governments, among other things. The president has also said that an early presidential election could possibly be held after the constitutional reform.
"If we prioritize constitutional reform, then the current head of state will do everything to write this constitution in a way that would suit him and the political system that has been created over the past 26 years, and this will not be welcomed by the political elite of Belarus or the Belarusian society," Latushko said during an online press conference.
The opposition figure also said that holding the new presidential election in Belarus was possible within the framework of the existing legislation. He specified that the composition of the country's Central Electoral Commission needs to be dissolved, and the new one has to declare the August 9 election as invalid.
Latushko also commented on the Monday meeting between Lukashenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi, saying that Moscow "sees no prospects for the current, or more correctly, the outgoing president of Belarus."
The member of the coordination council added that Russia's $1.5 billion state loan to Belarus was issued to save Minsk from defaulting and would be enough only for several months.
The Belarusian opposition initiated mass nationwide protests after Lukashenko was re-elected for a sixth term. the Coordination Council was established in mid-August with the goal of carrying out a peaceful transition of power. The Belarusian authorities said that the council pursued an unconstitutional grab of power and threatened national security. They launched the persecution of the Coordination Council presidium.
Mass anti-government rallies are still ongoing in Minsk and other large cities throughout the country.
