What are the roles of the president and prime minister in Belarus?

In Belarus, the roles of the president and the prime minister are defined by a constitutional framework that concentrates significant authority in the presidency.1

The President

The president serves as the head of state and is popularly elected to a five-year term. Following constitutional revisions in 1996, the powers of the presidency were greatly expanded, granting the office near-absolute authority. The president holds the power to rule by decree and appoints the prime minister.12

The Prime Minister

The prime minister is nominally designated as the head of government, but in practice, the position is subordinate to the president. While the prime minister oversees administrative functions, the executive structure ensures that the president maintains primary control over domestic, foreign, and military policy.1

This concentration of power has been a subject of significant international concern, as the political system is widely characterized as authoritarian, with the president exerting dominance over both the legislative and executive branches of government.12