Referendum on Constitution to take place on Feb 27. Opposition calls for ‘vote of no confidence towards Lukashenka regime’
On Thursday, Alyaksandr Lukashenka signed Decree Nr 14 ‘On conducting the nationwide referendum’.
The draft of would-be amendments was published in late December 27, 2021. The document provides for the transfer of huge powers to the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly and should provide Alyaksandr Lukashenka with personal security guarantees in case he decides to step down as president.
In accordance with the document, the nationwide referendum on amendments and additions to the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus is to be held on 27 February 2022.
The decree contains the wording of the referendum question: “Do you accept the amendments and additions to the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus?”
“In accordance with the Electoral Code, the decision adopted by a national referendum shall have a legal force. It shall enter into force 10 days after its official publication. It the decision adopted by referendum shall be an integral part of the Constitution,” state-run news agency BelTA reports.
The Belarusian opposition forces (Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office, the Coordination Council, the National Anti-Crisis Management) have immediately issued a statement regarding the upcoming referendum. According to them, Belarusians will be asked to make a non-alternative choice between the old Lukashenka’s Constitution that endows him with super-presidential powers, and the new Constitution designed to even more consolidate his power by the creation of an additional body with almost unlimited powers — the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly. Moreover, the new draft of the Constitution imposed by the regime provides for lifelong immunity for Lukashenka protecting him from prosecution for all the crimes committed during the years of his presidency, they stress.
“As a result of the defeat in the election, Lukashenka and all the executive branch have lost their legitimacy together with the right to represent the interests of the people and make political decisions on their behalf. Under political repression, the very holding of a referendum is impossible: with about a thousand political prisoners, almost three hundred liquidated NGOs, and virtually all independent media being banned. Consequently, there are no opportunities for free discussion of the proposed amendments, election commissions are not formed transparently, and independent monitoring of the voting process is impossible,” the statement reads.
That is why the democratic forces call on the Belarusian citizens to announce a vote of no confidence towards the Lukashenka regime: to come to the polling stations and make their ballots invalid in any convenient and accessible way. Today this is the only possible legal way to protest against the so called referendum in Belarus, they believe.
