Lukashenko: this Constitution is in the people’s spirit
Aleksandr Lukashenko shared this opinion after voting in the constitutional referendum. As he said, it is not the key to know all articles of the Constitution by heart since something else is important, “This Constitution is written in the spirit of the people, with the desire that the people have.”
The Belarusian leader highly appreciated the explanatory work carried out by journalists and experts countrywide. “A more complicated period is beginning,” he said. “No matter who is President – I or someone else, and it is still unknown what kind of this man is – one person is not enough to move the country forward. We need greater decentralisation of power, de-concentration in order to bring more people to the surface. We have already taken them up! Look how many patriotic and smart guys and girls have risen up!.. The Constitution should give an opportunity to rise up to all – including the President and an ordinary person. The President should not slow down this process.”
Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasised that checks and balances are absolutely necessary in this process – as in any society. He recalled, “It was not the fugitives who pushed us to this. I had two constitutions on my desk until 2020, and I rejected them because they practically did not differ from the current one. I then had to create a constitutional commission and take up writing [the text] myself.”
The Belarusian leader added, “Look, we are doing nothing radical. We are carefully taking a few steps from where we are now.”
Aleksandr Lukashenko believes the four referendums were very significant. He recalled that, based on the results of the first referendum in 1995, the Russian language was given the status of a state language. In turn, in Ukraine, the oppression of the Russian-speaking population has become one of the reasons for the current events. “Why would multinational Ukraine forbid people during this period to speak the language they want? The Russian language keeps the soul of the Belarusian people,” the Head of State noted.
In addition, the referendums determined Belarus’ state symbols and the attitude to the death penalty. “That is why those referendums were important to me. And this one is important as well. We will rebuild the political, social and economic systems of our state slowly and quietly (after the adoption of the Constitution, there will be no less work). It is not bad that we will have a ‘people's congress’ that can stop the Head of State and any authority at any moment. At the same time, I always say that we – Belarusians – need to learn to live in accordance with the law.”
Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed, “It is necessary to understand that, from tomorrow – if adopted, the Basic Law will start stabilising the President. The President will at least have to look around, because some of his powers are transferred to the Belarusian People’s Congress, the Government and Parliament. What is wrong with that?”
The Belarusian leader also figuratively commented on the referendums, “All referendums are important to me. Since I initiated them, these are my children. And children are all the same for their parents. However, you always love the youngest one more, right? This is still a little baby that you will help me raise.”
