On October 17, 2004, Belarusians voted in a referendum to lift the two-term limit for the presidency in the Constitution. Officially, nearly 80% of voters supported the change; however, an independent exit poll found it received less than half the vote. Belsat recalls how the authorities organized a plebiscite that, in principle, should not have taken place and explains why it is considered an illegal seizure of power, continuing a pattern that began in 1996.
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22 years since 2004 referendum: How Lukashenka “asked” permission to rule indefinitely
