Belarus poll: EU chief calls for accurate counting of votes after contentious results

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen has called on the Belarusian authorities to accurately count the votes and publish the result of elections held on August 9. The doubts over the accuracy of Belarus election results have intensified with several raising questioning the accuracy of the poll results after authorities declared a massive win for authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko.

According to a preliminary count from the presidential elections, Lukashenko won a sixth term with 80.23 per cent of the vote. However, Lukashenko opponents and critics rejected the results and claimed that the elections were rigged. The accusations of poll rigging triggered protests and led to clashes between police and protesters. Taking to Twitter, EU Commission President emphasised that there is no place for harassment of peaceful protesters in Europe.

Soon after the exit poll predicted a Lukashenko win, protests broke in the country’s capital and other cities. Citizens against Lukashenko’s re-election took to streets, leading to clashes between protesters and riot police. The security forces used rubber bullets and water cannon to disperse demonstrators.

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Lukashenko alleges ulterior motive

Belarus opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya rejected election results and demanded Lukashenko hand over the power. Tsikhanouskaya close ally, Veronica Tsepkalo, said that the Central Election Commission has "mixed up the names", adding that independent exit polls gave Tsikhanouskaya over 75 per cent of the vote.

However, Lukashenko dismissed the concerns of protesters, calling them “sheep" controlled from abroad. He claimed that the protesters received calls from Poland, Britain and the Czech Republic and were acting on their direction. He tried to justify the violent crackdown on protesters, saying he will not Belarus to be “torn apart”.

While Poland and Germany have voiced their concern over polls, Russian President Vladimir Putin immediately congratulated Lukashenko on winning the presidential election. Putin expressed hope that the government under Lukashenko’s leadership will facilitate further development of “mutually beneficial Russian-Belarusian relations” in all areas.

“Without doubt, these efforts serve the core interests of the brotherly nations of Russia and Belarus,” the message read.

Read: Belarus: Protests Break Out After Exit Poll Predicts Lukashenko Re-election

Read: Alexander Lukashenko Wins Belarus Presidential Polls With 80% Votes: Official