The regime of Alyaksandr Lukashenka says a vote to increase his power and rid Belarus of its non-nuclear status that was slammed as illegitimate and a sham by the opposition and the West has passed.
The election commission in Minsk said 65 percent of voters had cast ballots on February 27 in favor of changes to the constitution, while 10 percent voted against, according to the state-run BelTA news agency.
The vote was marked by large protests in Minsk and elsewhere against the ballot and Belarus's role in Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
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Anti-War Protests Break Out Across Belarus
Nearly 800 people were detained by police, the Interior Ministry said on February 28. Human rights activists inside Belarus said on February 27 that at least 530 people had been arrested.
The constitutional changes would allow Lukashenka, who has ruled the country since 1994, to secure further time in office and guarantee him lifelong immunity from prosecution after his eventual withdrawal from politics.
It would also allow Russian troops and nuclear weapons to be permanently stationed in Belarus in the future.
In Lithuania on February 27, Belarusian opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya led hundreds of her countrymen in protest against the Minsk regime for allowing Putin's army to use the country as a launchpad into Ukraine.
Chanting "Long live Belarus" and "Glory to Ukraine," they said they wanted the world to understand that ordinary Belarusians opposed the attack on Ukraine.
"Our Ukrainian brothers would not forgive us for our silence," Tsikhanouskaya, who lives in exile in Lithuania, told reporters.
SEE ALSO: Tsikhanouskaya Accuses Lukashenka Of 'Treason' Over Belarus's Role In UkraineLukashenka first floated possible changes after a presidential vote in August 2020 sparked unprecedented demonstrations that were met with a brutal crackdown.
The Crisis In Belarus
Read our coverage as Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka continues his brutal crackdown on NGOs, activists, and independent media following the August 2020 presidential election.
He claimed a sixth term in the vote and imprisoned leading opposition figures, triggering sanctions by the West, which refuses to recognize Lukashenka as the legitimate leader, leaving him more dependent than ever on Russian President Vladimir Putin for support.
The changes would give Lukashenka immunity from prosecution and put in place a limit of two terms in office, each for five years. However, the restrictions would only apply going forward, meaning Lukashenka could rule until he is 81 years old.
It's the third time, Lukashenka, 67, has changed the Belarusian Constitution.
In 1996, Lukashenka significantly expanded his own powers as president and reduced the powers of parliament, and in 2004 he lifted restrictions on the number of presidential terms.