During his speech before the Belaruskali staff, Alyaksandr Lukashenka said that he had already been shown several versions of the updated Constitution, but he did not like them, BelTA writes.
Since 2017, Lukashenka has repeatedly expressed the need to amend the Constitution. In particular, he said that some functions of the president could be transferred to other branches of government, while the powers of local authorities could be expanded. However, the head of state did not provide more details about the essence of the planned changes.
“The Constitution is the fundamental law. We will complete it within two years. I have already been offered several options — they are not suitable. People are just afraid to make more drastic changes to the Constitution. I think we should do it. Before the Constitution is adopted, we will do a lot in terms of transferring powers downwards — to the chairs of district executive committees, to the governor.
Lukashenka in Salihorsk. Photo president.gov.by
Lukashenka stressed that local authorities should be more widely engaged in caring for their territories, because “they see better where they are”. “As for the redistribution of powers at the top — the president, parliament, government — it should all be spelled out in the Constitution. It will be adopted by referendum, we must clearly define the way we will go. Either we will go the way, as the “alternatives” suggest today, through privatization, reforms and so on — it’s not my way, I will not break the social order of our country,” he said.
Lukashenka is convinced that the return to the 1994 Constitution is a backwards movement. He notes that the 1990s were not the best years in the life of the country.
“I don’t want to go back to those times, I don’t want you to go back there, no matter how some “alternatives” suggest: “We need to go back to 1994 and bring back that Constitution. Maybe someone wants to return — let them return, but do not talk about reform and moving forward, if we lead the people back,” said the head of state.
Last week, a potential presidential candidate Viktar Babaryka called for a nationwide referendum on the amendment of the Constitution of Belarus. He voiced this initiative in a video message, which was published the day after his arrest. “I want to announce a new initiative and I really hope that you will support me. I suggest holding a national referendum on the amendment of the Constitution of Belarus, taking the Constitution of 1994 as an example,” he said. Enrollment in the initiative group for the referendum is already underway.
