How Lukashenko was changing the Constitution

5 March 2021 | Vam Pocazalos’ YouTube Channel
Source: Voice of Belarus

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At the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly, Lukashenko announced a change to the Constitution. This change would be the fourth in 27 years. The shelf life of an average Belarusian Constitution is 9 years. For the first time, the Belarusian Constitution was adopted in 1994, and the post of the president appeared there for the first time. And soon you-know-who became the president.

The first Constitution did not give him too many powers. The role of the Supreme Council (the parliament) remained significant; in the cities mayors were elected (not appointed) and could pursue an independent policy. At the same time, the rating of the newly elected president was falling. Therefore, the 1st Belarusian Constitution lasted a little over a year.

The first change in the Constitution assumed, in particular, the return of Soviet symbols. State propaganda began to compulsively associate the current state white-red-white flag with fascism. The deputies who had declared a hunger strike in protest were removed from the Parliament building with the help of the riot police “for security reasons”.

Further changes to the Constitution led to the complete subordination of all branches of government to the president. A full-fledged personalist autocracy was formed. If in democracies presidents replace each other in accordance with the Constitution in Belarus for one president in the entire history of the presidency the 4th Constitution is promised to appear.

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