Lahvinets: LDP tries to guess what Lukashenka meant

Political scientist Aleh Lahvinets has commented on the initiative of the Liberal-Democratic Party to change the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus. The party would like to increase the term of presidency from 5 to 7 years, the term of MP’s powers – from 4 to 5 years and to switch to the mixed-member proportional representation. LDP is ‘the authorities’ pocket party’ that ‘suggests something on its own once in a while to be noticed and also announces the things the authorities want to be announced’, Lahvinets believes. The leaders of the Liberal-Democratic Party are trying to guess what Alyaksandr Lukashenka meant when speaking about possible changes to the Constitution, the political scientist said.

The idea to increase the term of presidency is ‘undemocratic’, Aleh Lahvinets said. The development of the parliamentary system is a different thing. However, the changes suggested by LDP may give the opposition ‘a small chance to get to the Parliament’. The political scientists recalled the situation in post-Soviet countries where ‘the leaders have appropriated the power and do not want to leave’.

"The suggestion distracts attention from bigger problems existing in our country,” Aleh Lahvinets concluded.