Press Release: Results of the referendum in Belarus

Embassy of the Republic of Belarus in Vienna

Hüttelbergstraße 6, 1140 Wien     |      + 43 1 419 96 30 11     |     austria@mfa.gov.by

PRESS RELEASE

March 4, 2022

Results of the referendum in Belarus

On February 27, 2022, a constitutional referendum was held in Belarus.

About 4.4 million citizens voted for the adoption of amendments and additions to the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus, which amounted to 82.9% of those who voted, or 65.2% of all registered voters. 12.8% of the referendum participants voted against the adoption of amendments and additions to the Constitution. The turnout was almost 79%.

More than 45,000 national and 195 international observers worked at the referendum. The conclusions and opinions of both international and national observers indicate that the referendum was held at a high organizational level and in accordance with the current legislation.

In accordance with the Electoral Code of the Republic of Belarus,
the referendum was declared valid. The decision to introduce amendments and additions to the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus
is therefore considered as adopted.

The constitutional commission, a special working group, as well as more than a million Belarusians took part in drafting and discussing the draft of the updated constitution. As a result, about 10 thousand responses from the population were received. Many rational proposals were received, some of them were reflected in the updated articles.

According to the updated Constitution:

emphasized is the inalienable right of the people of Belarus to self-determination, the preservation of national identity and sovereignty;

excluded is the military aggression from the territory of Belarus against other states;

it is emphasized that the state creates conditions for the protection of personal data and the security of an individual and the society when using them;

it is determined that marriage as a union of a woman and a man, family, motherhood, fatherhood and childhood are under the protection of the state;

it is determined that the Republic of Belarus develops nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, ensures safety in the production and use of nuclear energy;

given is the constitutional status to the All-Belarusian People's Assembly – the highest representative body of the people's power of the Republic of Belarus, which determines the strategic directions for the development of the society and state, ensures the inviolability of the constitutional order, the continuity of generations and civil harmony.

On March 4, 2022, President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko signed the Decision of the republican referendum on amendments and additions to the Constitution of the country at a ceremony in the Palace of Independence.

The updated Basic Law will come into force on March 15, 2022,
on the Constitution Day of the Republic of Belarus.

Contact oscedel1@mfa.gov.by for more information

Print version