President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko is taking a draft of the country's new Constitution to Moscow to gain approval from Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
This opinion, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports, is expressed by the pro-Western Minsk observer Valery Karbalevich, who supports the Maidan activists.
“I have the impression that this time Lukashenko is going to Moscow and bringing the draft Constitution for approval,” Karbalevich told Nezavisimaya Gazeta.
“Back in July, the Chairman of the Constitutional Commission Pyotr Miklashevich said that everything is ready and by August 1 we are ready to submit the project for consideration by Lukashenko and there will be a meeting on this topic. Then a month passed, and it was said that everything should be prepared and presented by September 1st. Now September 1 is just around the corner, and Lukashenko is still dragging his feet on this issue, and now he suddenly urgently goes to Moscow,” the expert continues.
“I guess he needs some kind of approval from Putin. Then he will launch this project at full capacity and try to implement it. Perhaps it is not so much the draft Constitution itself, but what will happen after its adoption, this is more important,” the political scientist believes.
He assumes that Putin and Lukashenko will discuss the “transit of power” of the latter. The publication's interlocutor believes that Moscow insists that Lukashenko leave power.
“If Lukashenko remains, then what kind of transit is this? This is just an attempt to trick someone. At the same time, it is important for Moscow that Belarus remains in Russia’s sphere of influence, so that the transit is controlled and in the transit process Moscow does not lose Belarus completely. At the same time, Lukashenko himself does not want to leave and is trying to present Putin with some arguments in favor of his point of view. In particular, it is frightening that if he leaves, Belarus will turn to the West. Taking into account the existing geopolitical losses (Georgia, Moldova), Russia accepts these arguments, so the allies are solving the main and difficult issue,” summed up Karbalevich.