The Belarus-bashi :: Charter'97 :: News

Alexander Lukashenko`s term as president of Belarus expires two years from now, but he has already launched a campaign to extend his powers. On September 7, Lukashenko addressed the nation to say that he had signed a decree on a nationwide referendum. Scheduled for October 17, the referendum concerns amending the constitution to permit Lukashenko to run for president over and over again. In other words, Lukashenko is essentially aspiring to become president for life.

Lukashenko began his address to the nation with the promise to raise the average wage (to $200 by the end of this year and to $250 by the end of 2005), as well as pensions and student benefits. He emphasized that "all this work will inevitably come to a halt without daily and energetic efforts on the part of the president and all leaders of the country."

After making these promises, Lukashenko moved on to scaring his fellow Belarusians. "Belarus with its clear lakes, wild forests, and economy saved from looters draws greedy looks from all directions," he said. The president knows the men who "would balk at nothing to come to power in 2006." He knows where, from whom, and under what promises they obtain money. He even knows what sponsors of these men expect. "This is a profitable investment," said Lukashenko. "If they have a puppet of theirs elected the president, they will end up with Belarusian factories and plants. All our country and all our land," Lukashenko said without elaborating on who these people and their financiers were.

The president saved the absolute killer of an argument for the end of his speech. Mentioning terrorism as the worst threat of our time, Lukashenko pointed out that "not a single Belarusian has become victim of a terrorist attacks throughout all these years." Lukashenko said, "Belarusian leadership spared the country involvement in international escapade that would have jeopardized the most valuable thing - life and security of citizenry." "At the referendum you will vote for security of the country, for the lives and health of your children and grandchildren," he said.

The forthcoming referendum will be the third initiated by Lukashenko. The first referendum was organized in May 1995, eleven months into Lukashenko`s first presidency. It abolished national symbols (the white-red-white flag and the ancient national emblem) in favor of symbols of the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic.

In November 1996, Lukashenko held another referendum that invested in him practically unlimited powers: including the power to appoint single-handed all senior state officials, administrators of districts, directors of factories and colleges and universities, and to issue decrees carrying the force of law. Along with everything else, Lukashenko extended his first term in office by two years (to 2001).

The leaders of five major opposition parties released a joint communique condemning Lukashenko`s intention to organize a new referendum. The communique states that "most citizens of Belarus object to this country being transformed into an absolute monarchy in the center of Europe."

The experts we approached for comments say Lukashenko is holding this referendum with the Kremlin`s approval. "He must have received that approval at his recent meeting with Putin in Sochi," said Alexei Makarkin, chief analyst at the Political Techniques Center.

The benevolent reaction of the Russian Foreign Ministry to Lukashenko`s initiative supports this assumption. "Belarus is a sovereign state," said Alexander Yakovenko of the Foreign Ministry. "The decisions it makes in this sphere are its own affair."

WPS Summary: Alexander Lukashenko`s term as president of Belarus expires two years from now, but he has already launched a campaign to extend his powers. There will be a referendum in October on amending the constitution to permit Lukashenko to run for president over and over again.