Preparing for a constitutional referendum in BelarusMINSK, February 27Polling stations for the referendum on amendments and additions to the constitution opened in Belarus on Sunday morning. The referendum on amendments and additions to the constitution of Belarus takes place on February 27. Early voting began on February 22 and lasted until February 26, inclusive. Polling stations across the country opened at 8.00 local time (coincides with Moscow time) and will continue to work until 20.00. In total, 5,510 polling stations have been formed in Belarus, where citizens of the country can take part in a referendum. According to the CEC, 6,818,948 people were included in the lists of referendum participants. .Minsk. Among them — 217 sites in sanatoriums, dispensaries, hospitals and other medical institutions, and 12 — in military units.Lukashenka called the referendum the first step towards change At the referendum, it was customary not to open polling stations abroad. As explained earlier in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus, foreign missions did not form polling stations due to the small number of citizens registered with the consular authorities, due to the epidemiological situation in the host countries, and also because of the lack of confidence in the security of the polling stations on the part of the authorities of the host countries. As noted in an interview with RIA Novosti by the head of the CEC of the republic, Igor Karpenko, the absence of polling stations abroad will not have a significant impact on the overall turnout of citizens and does not limit their right to participate in the plebiscite. Each participant in the referendum will see only one question in the ballot: «Do you accept the changes and additions to the constitution of the Republic of Belarus? Participants of the referendum will have to put their mark in one of the two squares, respectively «for» and «against». A special feature of the referendum is the use of an unusual ballot for Belarus — with a green background on the back. As noted by the CEC, this is an additional element of protection against forgery.The Belarusian authorities received 8,900 proposals for a draft constitutionAccording to the latest data, about 45,000 national observers, about 200 international and foreign observers from the CIS, the SCO, the CSTO PA, representatives of the CEC of the CIS countries, as well as independent experts, including from the EU countries, are working on the referendum .The draft of the updated constitution of Belarus, in particular, suggests that the same person can be president for no more than two terms. In accordance with the proposed amendments, a section on the All-Belarusian People's Assembly may appear in the constitution, which will become the highest representative body of democracy in Belarus, will approve the foundations of domestic and foreign policy, military doctrine, and the concept of the country's national security. The draft provides that the president can be removed from office by the All-Belarusian People's Assembly in the event of a systematic or gross violation of the constitution or the commission of treason or other serious crime. >Lukashenko called the only reason to cancel the referendum on the constitutionPosted: Olga Fomchenkova
