Early voting at the nationwide referendum on introducing amendments to the Belarusian constitution begins on Tuesday and will continue until February 26. The main voting day at the referendum is February 27.
"Early voting will be held from 10 to 14 o’clock and from 16 to 19 o'clock (same time with Moscow - TASS)," the Belarusian Central Election Commission noted.
The early voting practice during electoral campaigns in Belarus has been constantly criticized by OSCE observers and Belarusian opposition members since they see it as an opportunity to falsify the results of the vote. The organizers view early voting as an element of democracy which helps as many residents as possible to exercise their right to vote. At the 2020 presidential election, 41.7% of residents cast their ballots over five days of early voting,
According to proposals shaped by the Constitutional Commission, the amendments will affect approximately half of the provisions of the Belarusian constitution. The essence of the amendments is the preservation of the presidential government while specifying the functions and authority of the head of state, the parliament and the government, including the expanded scope of the government’s purview and its independence in the decision-making process. The amendments also specify that the same individual cannot serve as the country’s president for more than two terms.
In compliance with the Belarusian presidential decree, the constitutional referendum will be held on February 27. Early voting will be possible from February 22 through 26.
