Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko confirms plan to change constitution: Kremlin

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on September 14 confirmed during his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin that he plans to change the constitution. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov after 4 hours of talks in the Black Sea resort of Sochi said that Lukashenko has confirmed his intention of making changes to the constitution. Both Russia and Belarus have a union agreement envisioning close political, economic and military ties.

Protests continue in Belarus

Lukashenko made a visit to Russia amid growing demand for his resignation. In Belarus, more than 100,000 protestors marched through the streets of Minsk on Sunday, September 13 demanding the resignation of President Alexander Lukashenko. Belarus protests have entered their sixth week despite multiple reports of arrest and authoritarian crackdowns on anti-government demonstrations. On Sunday, the protestors were also seen carrying placards critical of Russia due to the meeting that had been scheduled. 

Read: Belarus President Lukashenko Set To Meet Putin To Seek Support Amid Protests

Last month, in a show of support for Lukashenko, Putin had said he is ready to send Russian police into Belarus if the protests turn violent. There were also observers who believed that Lukashenko is going into the meeting in a weak position as he had previously said that Putin wants Russia to absorb Belarus entirely. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has served 26 years in office and was declared to have won the recent elections but protestors believe that the ballot was rigged. Meanwhile, both the European Union and the United States have called the Belarus elections neither free nor fair. Putin had immediately congratulated the incumbent leader and expressed hope that the government under Lukashenko’s leadership will facilitate further development of “mutually beneficial Russian-Belarusian relations” in all areas. The Russian president has been pushing for closer ties with Belarus to wield greater dominance in the region and the grave political crisis could act as the catalyst in Putin’s favour.

Read: Belarus: Thousands Of Women Protest Against Lukashenko Demanding His Resignation

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the main opposition leader who went up against Lukashenko in the elections has been forced to flee the country after several threats to her life and is currently residing in Poland. Meanwhile, Nobel laureate Svetlana Alexievich has accused Belarusian authorities of terrorising their own people as she urged protestors to remain united in the face of adversity. Alexievich reportedly summoned her supporters to her home after another opposition figure, Maxim Znak, was detained by masked men in plain clothes in the latest round-up ordered by President Alexander Lukashenko.

Read: Belarus President Lukashenko Brings Teenage Son To Frontline As Protests Intensify

Also Read: Lukashenko Concerned Over NATO Drills At Border

(Image Credits: AP)