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The embattled Belarusian autocrat Alexander Lukashenko’s inauguration for another term as president has taken place in Minsk in a secret ceremony that was not announced in advance. Opposition leaders and European politicians immediately denounced the move as illegitimate.
“The day the president takes office, the day he takes office, is the day of our joint victory, a convincing and momentous victory,” Lukashenko told those gathered in a video posted by his press service. Army generals, parliamentarians and others were invited to the ceremony.
Lukashenko, whose claim to have won the August 9 election with 80% of the vote sparked massive and ongoing protests across the country, appears to have held the ceremony without publicity to prevent it from becoming a magnet for protesters.
“We have not only elected a president, we have defended our values, our peaceful life, our sovereignty and our independence, and we have much more to do in this regard,” he said, as he was sworn in for a sixth term.
A broad coalition has mobilized in opposition to Lukashenko, with daily protests and large gatherings on Sundays, but it appears that he still retains the support of the police and the army, as well as the backing of the Kremlin.
Born in August 1954 in Kopys, Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko has served as President of Belarus since the office was established in July 1994. In his initial election, Lukashenko set out to establish an effective dictatorship, sustained by shamelessly rigged elections.
Over the years, Lukashenko has offered his people a kind of Soviet system that rewards tractor production and grain harvesting over innovation and political freedoms, and the key part of his political offering has always been political and economic stability.
Lukashenko tried to push this line forward again in the run-up to the disputed 2020 presidential vote, painting Belarus as an island of stability in a world hit by economic crises, political unrest and coronavirus. But the scale of the discontent has shown that for many Belarusians this message will no longer work.
The 2020 elections have been described as the deepest crisis he has faced in his career, and to ensure his supposedly crushing victory, Lukashenko required what appears to be one of the most blatant vote rigging in recent European history. He reportedly subsequently forced his main opponent, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, into exile.
After the elections, in a congratulatory message, Vladimir Putin urged Lukashenko to consider further economic and legal integration with Russia, which the opposition warned would undermine the sovereignty of Belarus.
The man sometimes described as “Europe’s last dictator” may have designed a sixth term in office, but the balance of power has shifted away from him in a way few would have thought possible even a month ago. The EU has said it does not recognize his choice and massive protests against his government have continued in Belarus.
Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who officially received only 10% of the vote and was forced to flee the country after being threatened, launched a video appeal saying the inauguration meant that Lukashenko’s term was officially over.
“This supposed inauguration is a sham, of course. What really happened today is that Lukashenko is now retired, ”he said in a video address. “I, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, am the only elected leader of the Belarusian people and our task now is to build a new Belarus together.”
Tikhanovskaya has vowed to be an interim leader while new free elections are organized.
Although about 700 people attended the inauguration, the news of what would happen was kept silent until the final moment. Earlier on Wednesday morning, rumors circulated in Minsk that the inauguration could take place over the weekend, and Lukashenko’s press secretary told a Russian news agency that she would give information on when the inauguration would take place. ” close to date. ” In fact, the ceremony was only a couple of hours away.
Pavel Latushko, a former culture minister who is one of seven leaders of a coordinating council meant to oversee a transition of power, said the secrecy of the inauguration proved that Lukashenko lacked legitimacy.
“Where are the happy citizens? Where are the diplomats? To be honest, it looks more like a mob gathering to crown a new best man, ”he said. Latushko has also fled Belarus, along with others involved in the council. Many other opposition figures have been arrested and some face lengthy prison terms.
Although Lukashenko has promised constitutional reform, a process backed by Russia, the opposition believes this is a mere facade, and Lukashenko has made it absolutely clear that he does not plan to resign.
The EU has refused to recognize the elections as legitimate and neighboring Lithuania said on Wednesday it no longer considered Lukashenko president.
“What a sham. False elections. Forged inauguration. The former president of Belarus does not become less former. Quite the opposite. Its illegitimacy is a fact with all the consequences that this entails ”. tweeted Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius. Slovak Foreign Minister Ivan Korčok wrote that Lukashenko “has no legitimacy to lead his country.” Other EU foreign ministries issued similar statements.
President Vladimir Putin congratulated Lukashenko on winning the elections and received him at his residence in Sochi. Putin is known to dislike the Belarusian leader, but seems to have decided to back him for now.
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