The President of the Republic of Belarus

An overview of the role and responsibilities of Alexander Lukashenko, head of state of Belarus since 1994

The President of Belarus is the country’s head of state. His authority is established and defined by the Belarus Constitution and by the Presidential Act of the Republic of Belarus.

The current president of Belarus is Alexander Lukashenko. He was elected to the post in 1994 and is now serving his third term.

How is the President elected?

The Belarusian President is directly elected by the people of Belarus for a 5-year term of office.

Any Belarusian citizen over the age of 18 can vote in the elections.

Presidential candidates must be:

• over 35 years old
• resident in Belarus for at least 10 years

Presidential responsibilities

As well as being head of state, the President also fulfils a number of other roles including:

• Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Belarus
• Head of the Security Council
• Guarantor of the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus

The President is also responsible for:

• the sovereignty of the Republic of Belarus
• national security
• territorial integrity
• political and economic stability

What are the powers of the President?

The President of Belarus has wide-reaching powers. These include:

• implementing the key principles of domestic and foreign policy
• representing the State of Belarus on the international stage
• calling regular and extraordinary Parliament elections
• appointing the Prime Minister and the Chair of the principal courts in Belarus
• signing bills
• granting pardons to convicted prisoners
• awarding state honours, ranks and titles

Presidential privileges

As head of state, the President of Belarus enjoys full immunity. In addition, the Constitution states that the honour and dignity of the Presidential office should always be protected.