Capitalenom: Minsk coordonnées géographiques: 53 54 N, 27 34 E différence de temps: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October Fête de l'Indépendance25 Aoüt 1991 (from Soviet Union) Fête nationaleJour De l'Indépendance, 3 Juillet (1944); note - 3 Juillet 1944 was the date Minsk was liberated from German troops, 25 Aoüt 1991 was the date of independence from the Soviet Union Constitution15 Mars 1994; revised by national referendum of 24 Novembre 1996 giving the presidency greatly expanded powers and became effective 27 Novembre 1996; revised again 17 Octobre 2004 removing presidential term limits Suffrage - Age minimum de l'électeur18 ans; universal Pouvoir exécutifchef d'état (Président): Président Aleksandr LUKASHENKO (depuis 20 July 1994) chef de gouvernement (1er ministre): Prime Minister Sergey SIDORSKIY (depuis 19 December 2003); First Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir SEMASHKO (depuis December 2003) cabinet: Council of Ministers elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; first election took place 23 June and 10 July 1994; according to the 1994 constitution, the next election should have been held in 1999, however, Aleksandr LUKASHENKO extended his term to 2001 via a November 1996 referendum; subsequent election held 9 September 2001; an October 2004 referendum ended presidential term limits and allowed the president to run in a third election, which was held on 19 March 2006; prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president election results: Aleksandr LUKASHENKO reelected president; percent of vote - Aleksandr LUKASHENKO 82.6%, Aleksandr MILINKEVICH 6%, Aleksandr KOZULIN 2.3%; note - election marred by electoral fraud |