Referendum on new version of Constitution to be held no later than February 2022

Ensure calm development, prevent dual power and imbalance in the work of government bodies.

The President outlined the priorities in finishing the draft of the new Constitution. Belarus continues to update the Basic Law. The members of parliament compared their notes once again in the Palace of Independence. One of the versions of the draft Constitution was already presented to the Head of State at the end of September. The document was the result of the six-month work of the Constitutional Commission. Many proposals found support and did not cause controversy. But it was not possible to come to a consensus on certain issues. Therefore, the President instructed to create a working group to finalize the draft Constitution. It consists of 11 people, who are reputable and experienced managers and lawyers. It is necessary to act promptly. After all, a legal examination and a large-scale public discussion precede the referendum.

One of the tasks of the updated Constitution is the redistribution of powers between the authorities to exempt the President from the functions unusual for him. But at the same time, it is logical if Belarus retains the form of presidential rule. By the way, the majority of the population is in favor of this. At the dawn of independence, the country needed a strong presidential power: this helped to cope with the crisis. Today some of the powers can be passed to the local or government level.

The working group is led by the head of the Presidential Administration. There are three key issues on the agenda that need to be resolved. This is the status of the All-Belarusian People's Assembly and the procedure for its formation, the redistribution of powers between the government bodies, as well as a number of transitional issues like the term of office of the President, the National Assembly and local Councils of Deputies, the beginning of the work of the established institutions and bodies. The working group must also decide on the time frame for adjusting the laws to the updated Constitution.

The working group will have to resolve controversial issues within a month, so that a nationwide discussion of the draft Basic Law would be held by December. A referendum on the new version of the Constitution will take place no later than February next year.