MINSK, September 22. /TASS/: The Belarusian opposition has embarked on cobbling together a new electoral code and amendments to the nation’s constitution, according to a report on Tuesday, on its Telegram channel known as "A Country for Life."
"Anatoly Lebedko, CEO of the ‘European Dialogue’ center, in agreement with [former presidential candidate] Svetlana Tikhanovskaya’s headquarters, is launching an initiative to forge a new version of the Electoral Code and amend the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus," the report says.
The project’s architects point out that the protesters’ central demand is to hold new presidential elections.
"This initiative is being launched to shape a platform to satisfy all people’s demands. [Lebedko] invited representatives of all Belarusian political parties and movements to discuss the amendments," the opposition added. "The first organizational meeting has already taken place, having laid down the procedures, […] and defined the means of communication for the initiative group."
On Monday, Belarusian opposition figures Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, Pavel Latushko and Olga Kovalkova spoke at an extraordinary meeting of the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs, focusing on the crisis in Belarus. They promised to present their program to overcome the political and economic predicament engulfing the republic, and pointed out that the protests are not directed against Russia or Europe, but are instead a strictly internal affair. At the same time, Kovalkova asked the EU to organize a dialogue between the authorities and the opposition through international mediation and provide financial and organizational assistance to the future "democratically elected government of Belarus."
Earlier, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko vowed that he would not engage in any dialogue with the opposition’s Coordination Council, denouncing its proposals as a "catastrophe for Belarus." The Prosecutor General’s Office recently opened a criminal case against this structure on charges of calling for a seizure of power.
Previously, Lukashenko suggested introducing amendments to the constitution, delegating some authority to the lower tiers of power. According to the president, a new constitution must be adopted via a referendum. Lukashenko did not rule out snap presidential elections afterwards.
