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After three weekends of massive protests in Minsk against the results of the August 9 presidential election, which the opposition considers rigged, the 66-year-old president faces the biggest challenge of his entire term.
Lukashenko has declared a great victory in the elections, but his main rival, opposition candidate Sviatlana Cichanouskaya, says he is the real winner.
Lukashenko has twice held similar referendums and pushed for amendments that have strengthened the role of the president.
On Monday, he recognized the country’s “somewhat authoritarian system”.
Russia has supported constitutional reforms in neighboring Belarus, which is a close ally of Moscow. In July, Russian President Vladimir Putin himself pushed through reforms that would allow him to serve even more terms.
Lukashenko’s proposals on Monday refer mainly to judicial reforms. He rejected calls from the opposition to return to the country’s 1994 constitution, which was later amended to give the president more powers.
Lukashenko has tried to downplay the protest movement and present himself as a leader who maintains control and order.
Scanpix / ITAR-TASS photo / Thousands of protesters in Belarus “congratulate” Lukashenko on his birthday: the first arrests are announced
However, he seemed increasingly isolated, even the workers, whom he considered loyal supporters to protest Lukashenko, and paranoid, for example, flew to his official residence in a helicopter with a bulletproof vest.
Meeting with the Chief Justice, Lukashenko said that experts were discussing changes, including greater independence of the judiciary, although he did not believe it was necessary.
“I am willing to argue with anyone that the most independent court is in Belarus. No one should laugh,” he said.
However, the president added that the system must work “without relation to personalities, including Lukashenko.”
He said the public could “express their opinions: what they like or not” and said that “those calling for change” are a minority.
In 1994, the democratically elected Lukashenko held a referendum in 1996 on reforms, including constitutional ones.
Among them were greater powers of the president to appoint judges, including the president of the Constitutional Court.
In 2004 a controversial constitutional referendum was held, which allowed the president to serve three terms instead of two as before.
According to Lukashenko, a return to the 1994 constitution, as the opposition wants, would not advance the country.
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