Referendum in Belarus on Sunday approved a new constitution abandoning the country’s non-nuclear status at a time when former The Soviet republic has become a launching pad for Russian troops invade Ukraine, Russian news the agencies said.
The agencies quoted the Central Election Commission of Belarus as saying 65.2% of those who took part voted in to favor. the result was no surprise, given the tight control rule of President Alexander Lukashenko.
the new constitution could see nuclear weapons on Belarusian soil for the first since the country gave them up after the fall of Soviet Union.
He’s upping the ante at a time when Lukashenko has fallen behind of Russian President Vladimir Putin military aggression on Ukraine after earlier playing an intermediary role between the two neighbors.
The West has already said he wouldn’t recognize results of the referendum, which is being held place against the background of a massive repression on national opponents of the government. According to human rights activists, as of Sunday there was more more than a thousand political prisoners in Belarus.
The referendum sparked anti-war protests in many cities. At least 290 people were arrested, rights activists said.
Protests were largely dead down in Belarus after Lukashenko launched violent crackdown on contestation against son 28-year-long rule. Mass protests broke out in 2020 following a contested election that opponents says Lukashenko faked.
Sunday, speaking in a bureau of voteLukashenko said he could ask Russia to return nuclear weapons to Belarus.
“If you (the West) transfer nuclear weapons to Poland or Lithuania, to our borders, then I will look to Putin to return the nuclear weapons that I gave without any conditions,” Lukashenko said.
Lukashenko turned to Russia after the 2020 protests, securing loans that offset the effect of Western sanctions.
His rival in the 2020 vote opposition leader in exile Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, had called on Belarusians to use the vote protest against the invasion.
In the videos and photos posted on social media, people gathered in the offices of vote in Minsk and other cities to protest.
“We can’t do grand-thing now, with all that terror and horror in that we live. But I wouldn’t forgive myself if I didn’t try to do something,” said Elena, 45. declined to supply more personnel information for security reasons.
the new constitution would be give powers to the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly, created by Lukashenko and populated by party loyalists, local councils, civil servants and activists of pro-government organizations. It would be also give lifetime immunity from prosecution to the president once he left office.
