More than 65% of voters vote for changes to Belarusian Constitution - Belarusian CEC

MINSK. March 3 (Interfax) - The Belarusian Central Elections Commission (CEC) approved the outcome of the referendum on changes to the country's Constitution at a meeting in Minsk on Thursday. The data have not changed based on the tentative outcome.

According to data from the CEC, 65.16% of people on the lists of voters (82.86% of the people who voted) voted for the amendments.

According to the CEC, the voter turnout in the referendum was 78.63%.

The main stage of the voting took place on February 27. Early voting, in which the voter turnout was 42.93%, was held on February 22-26.

There was one question in the referendum: "Do you accept amendments and additions to the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus?"

A referendum is considered valid if more than half of the voters on the lists vote in it. In order for a decision to be adopted, more than 50% of the voters need to vote for it.

The new Constitution proposes raising the lower age limit for presidential candidates from 35 to 40 and increasing a permanent residence requirement in Belarus from ten years to 20 years. The amendments provide that a presidential candidate cannot have or have ever had foreign citizenship or permanent residency permit. One and the same person cannot be president for more than two terms. The amendments also introduce immunity of the president.

A president who has stopped fulfilling his powers cannot be subjected to accountability for actions taken in connection with the exercise of presidential powers by him. He becomes a lifelong member of the Council of the Republic, the upper chamber of the parliament.

The new Constitution expands the powers of the All-Belarusian People's Assembly. Both incumbent and former presidents and representatives of bodies of legislative, executive and judicial authority and civil society are delegates of the All-Belarusian People's Assembly.

The All-Belarusian People's Assembly is granted the powers to dismiss the president, elect the head and members of the Central Elections Commission, the Constitutional and Supreme Courts, and declare a state of emergency or martial law on the territory of the country.

One of the proposed provisions states that Belarus rules out military aggression from its territory against other states.

The proposed amendments also state that marriage in the Republic of Belarus is a union of a man and a woman.

The Belarusian opposition has come up with its own draft Constitution, according to which the country should become a parliamentary republic.