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Concern grows over Belarus power struggle

November 19, 1996
Web posted at: 6:45 a.m. EST

GOMEL, Belarus (CNN) -- International concern was growing Tuesday over a bitter power struggle between parliament and president in the former Soviet republic of Belarus.

At the heart of the political crisis is President Alexander Lukashenko and his campaign to boost his powers via a constitutional referendum set for Sunday.

If approved, the referendum would extend Lukashenko's presidency from five years to seven, allow him to disband parliament, appoint judges, election officials, some legislators and most members of the constitutional court in Belarus.

Lukashenko, a former state-farm director openly nostalgic for Soviet times, has banned trade unions and kept a tight lid on the state-run media since his landslide election victory in 1994.

Growing opposition

Opposition to the referendum has grown to a crisis level, with western governments challenging the president's actions, his own parliament seeking voting on a motion to impeach him, his once-loyal prime minister resigning and some citizens taking to the streets to voice their disapproval.

"There does not appear, in our view, to be any legal basis in the Belarus constitution for the action that President Lukashenko has been taking," U.S. State Department spokesman Glyn Davies told reporters in Washington.

In Paris, North Atlantic Assembly President Karsten Voigt of Germany told a news conference that Lukashenko's behavior was "illegal, non-democratic and sometimes even crazy."

The assembly includes parliamentarians from 40 European and North American countries.

In apparently another sign of political stress related to the referendum, Prime Minister Mikhail Chigir resigned on Monday.

The move was a setback for Lukashenko because of Chigir's longtime loyalty and because Chigir is held in high regard by many of the nation's 10 million inhabitants.

Chigir gave no reason for his departure, but he has opposed Lukashenko's drive to change the constitution.

His resignation came one day after an estimated 4,000 protesters demanding Lukashenko's resignation were met by tear gas-wielding police who arrested at least eight people and injured at least 10 others.

Still, Lukashenko remains popular with much of the electorate that swept him into power in 1994 and supports his pro-Russia stance.

Divided parliament

The source of Lukashenko's strongest challenge comes from a divided parliament.

At least 70 members of the 199-member body have signed an impeachment motion. But a two-thirds majority, or 133 votes, is needed for impeachment. Lukashenko can claim 60 solid supporters in the assembly.

Members of parliament invited the president to attend Tuesday's session, but Lukashenko refused.

In an interview on state television, Lukashenko made a veiled threat to the parliament.

"If the people's deputies do not understand my appeal (to stop attacking me and back the referendum) then we will have to meet and go our separate ways once and for all," said Lukashenko.

Top presidential aide Vladimir Zametalin told Reuters that Lukashenko would prevail even if the parliament managed to succeed in its impeachment vote.

"The president of the republic will use the maximum possibilities available to him to get out of the situation without conflict," said Zametalin.

Asked if dissolving parliament and the constitutional court was an option, he said: "It's entirely possible. The president has many options."

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

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