lukashenko
The Belarusian authorities have called for a national assembly of thousands of people late next month or in January 2021 to discuss proposed constitutional changes.

Belarus has been rocked by protests since an August 9 presidential election handed Lukashenka a sixth term amid allegations of widespread fraud. Protesters say opposition candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya was the real winner of the vote.

Ahead of the August election, Tsikhanouskaya had said that if she's elected president, she'd organize a referendum to bring back the 1994 constitution that limited presidential powers.

Lukashenka has repeatedly said he has no plan to step down. Earlier this month, Lukashenka reiterated that he had no intention of handing over power to anyone, and accused protesters of planning a "color revolution" -- a term often used to describe pro-Western political upheavals.

Crisis In Belarus

"No power transfer! No successors! Whoever is elected by the people must stay [in power]," he said on November 13.

Russia has close ties with Belarus and Moscow has offered Lukashenka security assistance if he requests it.

Lukashenka on November 26 met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who expressed support for a new Belarusian constitution.

The United States and the European Union have refused to recognize the 66-year-old Lukashenka as the legitimate leader of Belarus.