MINSK, 11 February (BelTA) – The new Constitution will be drafted by the end of 2021, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he addressed the 6th Belarusian People's Congress in Minsk on 11 February, BelTA has learned.
The Belarusian president pointed out that constitutional changes are not a new topic on the agenda. “More than two years ago I asked to prepare new drafts of the Constitution. In my latest address to the nation and the parliament, I said that I had already received two drafts of the new Constitution,” he said. Work is underway on the third one.
“The new Constitution draft will be discussed with the entire nation in the course of this year. We will put it to the referendum early next year at the latest,” Aleksandr Lukashenko noted.
He pointed out that many laws and legislative framework will have to be amended to be in harmony with the new Constitution. “I believe that we will be able to do this in the course of the next year,” the head of state noted.
According to him, it is crucial not to make a mess of things. The president cited the results of the recent sociological survey, which showed that 60% of respondents were adamantly opposed to constitutional changes. “I disagree. We should amend the Constitution, because the amount of powers that the head of state has is massive,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said. Moreover, who knows, how would a person who seized the power by force, for example, use these unlimited powers. “This is why we should draft a new Constitution and put it to the nationwide discussion and a referendum,” he added.
