Lukashenka Said Ready To Sign Contingency Decree On Presidential Powers
udf.byRussian President Vladimir Putin (right) and his Belarusian counterpart, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, meet in Moscow on April 22. Belarusian state media say Alyaksandr Lukashenka has said he will sign a decree that would vest presidential powers in the country's Security Council if he is unable to function as president. Many governments already consider Lukashenka's claim to the presidency illegitimate since a disputed reelection in August 2020 and with a brutal crackdown continuing against opposition protests eight months after the vote.
His critics have dismissed previous pledges by Lukashenka for future constitutional changes and elections as stalling tactics.