The self-proclaimed president of Belarus, Oleksandr Lukashenko, signed a law that introduces guarantees regarding his safety, health, financial and political status, and also strengthens the requirements for a presidential candidate.
The law entitles the former president and members of his family to lifelong immunity. A countryʼs leader cannot be held accountable for actions taken while in office. Lukashenko should also become a delegate of the All-Belarusian Peopleʼs Assembly and a lifelong member of the upper house of parliament after his resignation.
He is awarded a lifetime allowance equal to the current presidentʼs salary, is guaranteed presidential-level medical care, state security and access to government communications.
As for the new requirements for presidential candidates, the right to be elected is granted only to citizens born in Belarus who are no younger than 40 years old, who have lived permanently in the country for at least 20 years and have never had a residence permit in another country. These provisions effectively disqualify all representatives of the opposition, which is mostly in exile abroad or imprisoned.
- The Lukashenka regime, which has been ruling Belarus for the seventh consecutive term since 1994, amended the Constitution in 2022. They forbid him to serve as president for two consecutive terms and allow the All-Belarusian Assembly to remove the president from power. Analysts assume that Lukashenko wants to become the chairman of the assembly in the future, trying to retain power.