Belarus: Lukashenko raises prospect of fresh elections

September 08, 2020

On Tuesday, President Alexander Lukashenko acknowledged that he may have “overstayed” his time in office, but said he was the only person capable of protecting Belarus for now.

The 66-year-old, who has been in power since 1994, said a rerun of a disputed presidential vote could only be held after constitutional changes, without giving further details.

“We are ready to carry out the reform of the constitution,” Lukashenko was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency. “After that I do not exclude early presidential elections.”

Read more: Under threat from authorities, Belarusians go into exile

Lukashenko said he would refuse to hold talks with opposition politicians after EU governments called for “dialogue.”

Interfax reported that Lukashenko told a Moscow radio station that he would not negotiate with the opposition Coordination Council “because I do not know who these people are.”

‘If Belarus falls, Russia will be next’

Lukashenko also suggested that Russia would be next if his regime falls in the face of a wave of mass protests.

“You know what we concluded with the Russian establishment and leadership? If Belarus falls, Russia will be next,” state news agency RIA Novosti quoted Lukashenko as saying after he spoke to reporters from numerous Russian media outlets.

Belarus President Lukaschenko (Reuters/BelTA/N. Petrov)

President Lukashenko addressed members of the Russian media in Minsk on Tuesday

Tsikhanouskaya urges sanctions

Lukashenko’s rival from the disputed August 9 election, the exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, has called for sanctions against the president and his aides.

“My country, my nation, my people now need help,” Tsikhanouskaya said in a speech via videolink on Tuesday to the Council of Europe, a European human rights watchdog based in Strasbourg, France, separate from the EU.

“We need international pressure on this regime, on this one individual desperately clinging onto power,” she said. “We need sanctions on individuals who issue and execute criminal orders that violate international norms and human rights.”

Read more: Tsikhanouskaya urges UN to act

Tsikhanouskaya, 37, fled Belarus for Lithuania after the contested election in August, fearing for her safety.

She claimed victory, with the opposition alleging widespread fraud. But election authorities in Belarus claimed that Lukashenko had won more than 80% of the vote.

Weeks of protests

Protesters have taken to the streets across Belarus over the past month to demonstrate against Lukashenko. More than 7,000 people have been arrested amid widespread reports of police brutality and torture.

Read more: Propaganda in Belarus: Why state media journalists quit

Last month, the European Union said the election was “neither free or fair.” Foreign ministers from the 27 countries agreed to introduce sanctions against those responsible for the violence and alleged electoral fraud.

The bloc’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, has called for the “immediate release” of protesters and political prisoners.

Belarus in crisis

Allegations of vote fraud

Alexander Lukashenko declared a landslide victory in presidential polls on August 9. According to the official count, the 65-year-old won 80% of the votes while his main challenger, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, got only 10%. Lukashenko’s opponents accuse him of rigging the vote to secure a sixth term after 26 years in power.

Belarus in crisis

Protests erupt

After the results were announced, Belarusians took to the streets to demand an election rerun monitored by independent observers. Security forces responded with a brutal crackdown. The violence, which Lukashenko blamed on foreign interference, was widely condemned internationally, prompting the EU to prepare sanctions against implicated Belarusian officials.

Belarus in crisis

Violent crackdown

In the first four days of protests, at least two people died and almost 7,000 were detained. But rather than peter out, rallies calling for Lukashenko’s resignation have grown. Thousands of protesters have joined daily marches demanding the release of political prisoners and an end to police violence.

Belarus in crisis

Nationwide movement

More than 100,000 people took part in a “March for Freedom” on August 16 — one of the biggest ever shows of opposition to Lukashenko’s rule. Protesters chanted “Leave!,” and waved the red and white historic Belarusian flag that has become a common sight at rallies. Lukashenko scrapped the flag when he came to power, and it has since become a symbol of opposition to him.

Belarus in crisis

‘I’m for Lukashenko’

Lukashenko’s supporters held a rally of their own on August 16, although their numbers were dwarfed by the opposition’s march. “I’m for Lukashenko,” 68-year-old supporter Alla Georgievna told Reuters. “I don’t understand why everyone has risen up against him. We get our pensions and salaries on time thanks to him.”

Belarus in crisis

Workers put down tools

Workers in state-owned industries, considered to be Lukashenko’s traditional support base, have started turning against him. Thousands of factory workers took part in walkouts after the opposition called a general strike. Footage from August 17 that was widely shared on social media showed workers at a Minsk tractor plant heckling Lukashenko with shouts of “Leave!” as he tried to give a speech.

Belarus in crisis

State media join strike

Several hundred journalists, camera operators and other employees at Belarusian state broadcaster BT also walked off the job. Local media said staff had issued demands urging management to end censorship and recognize the election results as invalid. During the strike, “Belarus 1” TV broadcast an empty studio with music playing the background.

Belarus in crisis

Opposition in exile

Soon after the protests began, opposition presidential candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya fled to neighboring Lithuania, citing threats to her safety. In exile, she has renewed calls for fresh elections and said she is “ready to take responsibility and act as a national leader.” Lukashenko, meanwhile, has conceded that new polls would be possible — but only after amending the constitution.