Will political prisoners be released after the referendum? An expert opinion

The Central Election Commission has begun preparations for a referendum on amendments to the Constitution.

What political model does the draft Basic Law envisage?

Should one expect any easing in political life after the referendum?

Are the recent conflicts between Minsk and Moscow explained by Lukashenka’s failure to fulfill his promises to Putin regarding constitutional reform?

Doctor of political science and director of the Political Sphere Institute Andrei Kazakevich answers these questions from Yury Drakakhrust on the Svaboda Premium channel (https://www.youtube.com/embed/vNNLA0inSIs?&&&fs=1&enablejsapi=1&rel=0).

Kazakevich
It remains unclear what kind of Constitution Lukashenka wants.

Constitutional reform is demanded by both internal and external factors.

The new Constitution is a major political void that has not yet been filled with any content.

Not only is there no text of the draft; even the concept remains unclear.

Lukashenka promised to put the draft Constitution up for public discussion in the autumn.

The referendums of 1996 and 2004 were held quite openly; Lukashenka clearly declared what he wanted to achieve through those referendums.

At that time he had a majority behind him.

Now he is unlikely to be able to secure majority support.

In recent years the authorities have developed a habit of classifying everything.

This was the case with the integration “road maps,” and the same is happening with the draft Constitution.

There was an expectation that after the referendum the repression would begin to decline.