Capitalnome: Minsk coordenadas geográficas: 53 54 N, 27 34 E diferença do tempo: 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 Independência25 Agosto 1991 (from Soviet Union) Feriado nacionalDia da independência, 3 Julho (1944); note - 3 Julho 1944 was the date Minsk was liberated from German troops, 25 Agosto 1991 was the date of independence from the Soviet Union Constitución15 Março 1994; revisada pelo referendum nacional of 24 Novembro 1996 giving the presidency greatly expanded powers and became efectiva 27 Novembro 1996; revisada again 17 Outubro 2004 removing presidential term limits Sufrágio18 anos de idade; universal Poder Executivochefe do estado: Presidente Aleksandr LUKASHENKO (desde 20 July 1994) cabeça de governo: Prime Minister Sergey SIDORSKIY (desde 19 December 2003); First Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir SEMASHKO (desde 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 |