Belarus opposition urges EU not to recognize election results ahead of summit

Belarusian opposition politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on Wednesday urged the European Union not to recognize the results of disputed presidential elections that have led to daily demonstrations in Belarus. 

The appeal came as leaders of the 27 EU member countries prepared to hold an emergency summit on the unrest.

“I call on you not to recognize these fraudulent elections,” Tsikhanouskaya, who is currently in exile in Lithuania, said in a video address.

Belarus has been rocked by mass protests since authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko claimed a landslide victory in elections on August 9. The opposition accuses the 65-year-old of rigging the vote to secure a sixth term after 26 years in power. Protesters are calling for him to step down and for new elections to be held.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya is in exile in Lithuania

Read more: EU emergency summit on Belarus: What’s at stake?

“The August 9 elections were neither fair, nor transparent. The results were falsified,” Tsikhanouskaya said in her video message, which was delivered in English. “Lukashenko has lost all legitimacy in the eyes of our nation and the world.”

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  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.

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  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.

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  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.

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  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.

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  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.”

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  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.

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  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.

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  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.

Sanctions on the agenda

At least two people have died and almost 7,000 others have been detained in a crackdown on demonstrations. On Friday, EU foreign ministers condemned the violence and agreed to prepare sanctions against implicated Belarusian officials.

They were expected to discuss the measures further during Wednesday’s meeting, which is to take place online. 

“It is clear that (the outcome of the Belarus presidential election) is not in line with the wish of the people, there has been unacceptable violence, and the rule of law is not respected. Sanctions have already been taken and will no doubt be reinforced this afternoon,”  EU Industry Commissioner Thierry Breton told Europe 1 radio.

The possibility of mediating talks between the Belarusian government and opposition is also likely to be on the agenda. 

“The options for the EU are very limited,” Judy Dempsey, from the foreign policy think tank Carnegie Europe, told DW. She said European leaders should push for free elections and the release of political prisoners, but added that such demands are difficult to implement, warning that hollow rhetoric could also be dangerous.

Dempsey said she hoped Tsikhanouskaya would soon return to Belarus to steer the protest movement and prevent it from radicalizing.

Read more: Lukashenko regime ‘clearly’ at an end in Belarus, says Schäuble

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other EU leaders have stressed the need for a national dialogue to solve the crisis. The bloc has also said that the recent elections were neither free nor fair.

From exile, Tsikhanouskaya, 37, has urged protesters to continue taking to the streets. She argues that she is the rightful winner of the election and has pledged to organize new polls if Lukashenko steps down. In her video message to EU leaders, she said her allies have formed a council to “lead the process of peaceful transition of power via dialogue.”

nm/ng (Reuters, AFP, dpa)

Barbara Wesel contributed to this report.

Article source: https://www.dw.com/en/belarus-opposition-urges-eu-not-to-recognize-election-results-ahead-of-summit/a-54617905?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf