It was reported that a referendum in Belarus on Sunday adopted a new constitution that abandons the country’s non-nuclear status at a time when the former Soviet Republic has become an entry point for Russian soldiers invading Ukraine. According to the report, the Belarus central elections commission cited 65.2 percent of those who voted in favour.The outcome of the referendum was unsurprising given President Alexander Lukashenko’s tightly controlled leadership. For the first time since the Soviet Union fell apart, the new constitution might allow nuclear weapons to be used on Belarusian soil. The referendum is taking place during a period of a huge crackdown on political opponents of the government, and the West has already stated that it will not recognize the results. According to human rights groups, Belarus has over a thousand political prisoners. Anti-war protests erupted in various cities as a result of the referendum. Protests had largely died down in Belarus after Lukashenko initiated a harsh crackdown on dissent against his 28-year dictatorship. While addressing a voting site on Sunday, President Lukashenko claimed he could ask Russia to return nuclear weapons to Belarus. According to him, “if you (the West) move nuclear weapons to Poland or Lithuania, which are close to our borders, I will ask Vladimir Putin to return the nuclear weapons that I handed away unconditionally.” Mass protests occurred in 2020 after a disputed election that opponents claimed Lukashenko rigged. Following the 2020 protests, President Lukashenko turned to Russia for money to help counter the impact of Western sanctions. The exiled opposition leader, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, had urged Belarusians to utilize the vote to resist the invasion. People gathered at polling places in Minsk and other cities to protest. The All-Belarusian People’s Assembly, which Lukashenko established and is made up of party loyalists, local councils, officials, and pro-government activists, would be given more powers under the new constitution. The new constitution would also provide President Lukashenko with life immunity from prosecution once he leaves office.
Source: Viewers Corner News.