29 December 2007
No talks about Union State's constitution in last few years, top election official says

Lidziya Yarmoshyna, chairperson of the central election commission, said that there had been no talks about the adoption of a Constitutional Act for the Belarusian-Russian Union State in the last few years.

«No talks about the Constitutional Act are carried out now as has been the case in the last few years,» Ms. Yarmoshyna told BelaPAN.

«All remarks about it are hypothetical. Any talks will become specific only when the central election commission is ordered to draw up referendum cost estimates. Nothing of the kind has ever happened,» she said.

Citing unnamed sources close to the Belarusian leader, Russian media outlets earlier reported that a Constitutional Act of the Belarusian-Russian Union State would be signed during Mr. Putin's trip to Minsk on December 13 and 14. The report had it that Mr. Putin will head the Union State when his term of office as president expires, whereas Mr. Lukashenka will chair the parliament of the Union State.

Neither the Kremlin not the Belarusian leader's administration confirmed the report.

Several dozens opposition activists staged a demonstration in Minsk a day ahead of the Russian leader's arrival to protest the possible move.