Belarus confirms ditching non-nuclear status in referendum vote; Canada condemns
New Delhi: Over 800 people have been arrested after Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko announced constitutional referendum amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The Canada government condemned Belarus’s recent constitutional referendum and termed it as an attack on democracy and a threat to security and stability in the entire region. Canada will therefore not recognize the results of this referendum.
“The Lukashenko regime has used a campaign of fear and repression to influence the vote and supress democratic opposition. Independent voices and media are being silenced, political prisoners remain behind bars, and tens of thousands of Belarusians have been exiled,” Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, said adding that the referendum lacks the democratic legitimacy as independent observers, including those from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), have been barred from evaluating the voting process to ensure its integrity.
