Leaders of the European Union will hold an emergency video conference on a deepening political crisis in Belarus, bloc officials said. express support for a protest movement rallying against the disputed re-election of longtime President Alexander Lukashenko.
The EU has agreed to impose sanctions on Belarusian officials who hold them responsible for alleged electoral fraud and a violent collapse in mass protests that followed an August 9 vote in which official Count Lukashenko 80 percent of ‘ gave a voice. His opponents say the election was rigged.
“The people of Belarus have the right to decide on their future and to elect their leader freely,” said Charles Michel, President of the European Council, which represents the 27 national governments, in the announcement of ” the video conference Wednesday.
“Violence against Protestants is unacceptable and cannot be allowed.”
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, welcomed the forthcoming talks, writing on Twitter: “The people of Belarus need to know that the EU stands firm with them, and that those responsible for violations of human rights and violence will be sanctioned. “
EU top diplomat Josep Borrell also called on Monday for an “in-depth and transparent investigation” into reports of abuses and abuses of thousands of Protestants.
Borrell described an enormous protest in the capital Minsk on Sunday as “the biggest rally in Belarusian modern history”, Borrell said, “The whole numbers clearly show that the Belarusian population wants change, and wants it now. The EU stands by them. ”
A senior EU official, speaking to Reuters News Agency on condition of anonymity, said the meeting on Wednesday would also send a message to Russia not to be mediated in the former Soviet Republic. Mr Lukashenko has accused Belarus’s EU neighbors of interfering, saying Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered “comprehensive assistance” to “guarantee Belarus’s security”. if necessary.
“The way out of the crisis is through an end to violence, through de-escalation, through dialogue and without outside interference,” the official said, without mentioning Russia.
The EU sees Russian military intervention in Belarus, a country of 9.5 million, not as likely scenario for now, according to diplomats.
The video conference announcement came when Lukashenko said he was ready to relinquish some of his authority through constitutional changes that would come “not under pressure and not through the streets” according to an official transcript.
The president, who has been in power since 1994, suggested that such amendments could be put to a referendum with input from the political opposition.
“Come, sit down and let’s work on the constitution. We’ll bring it to a referendum,” he said as he toured a factory.
Lukashenko refused calls for a review, saying, “no one should ever expect me to pressure them to do anything,” according to the transcript.
A leading independent news source in Belarus, Tut.by, quoted Lukashenko as saying at the event, “Unless you kill me, there will be no revue.”
But Lukashenko had to end the speech abruptly when a crowd of attacking workers “Leave!” Cried, according to a video of the scene.
Reporting from Minsk, Al Jazeera’s Step Vaessen said that while Lukashenko now appears to be in favor of power-sharing after the constitution was changed, this is a long process that could take years.
“A lot of people here see that as efforts by him to buy time,” Vaessen said.
Call for Security Council meeting
On Monday, a British official said the United Kingdom would adopt EU sanctions on Belarus as its own if the bloc’s rules no longer apply at the end of a post-Brexit transition period.
Earlier, UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said Lukashenko’s re-election was “fraudulent” and that the UK would work with international partners to sanitize those responsible and hold the country’s authorities accountable.
Meanwhile, Estonia called the United Nations Security Council’s talks on the situation in Belarus at the earliest possible opportunity, because of the “potential threat” to international security.
EU and NATO member Estonia is currently one of the 10 non-permanent members of the Council.
“Because of the political crisis in Belarus and the potential threat to international peace and security, Estonia will at the earliest opportunity propose a discussion on the situation in Belarus,” said Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu.
“One of the main objectives of Estonia as an elected member of the Security Council is to ensure compliance with international law, and to keep serious violations of human rights in international focus,” the statement said.
Poland and the three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have called for new elections and have offered to mediate.
Besides, US President Donald Trump said that Washington will closely follow the ‘terrible’ situation in Belarus.
“It’s terrible. That’s a terrible situation, Belarus. We will follow it very closely,” Trump said Monday.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Saturday that the US was discussing the situation in Belarus with the EU.
Speaking in Poland’s capital, Warsaw, Pompeo made his final stop on a tour of Central Europe, saying the aim of US contacts with the EU was “to try as best as possible to help Belarus.” to achieve people’s sovereignty and freedom “.
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