Belarus: Alexander Lukashenko sworn in for sixth term in a secret ceremony

Embattled leader Alexander Lukashenko has been sworn in for his sixth term as the President of Belarus at a secret ceremony held with no prior announcement, state-owned Belta news agency reported on September 24.  As per the news agency, the inauguration ceremony took place in the Palace of Independence, Minsk which hosts landmark events in the country.  Earlier this day, the majority of roads in the capital were blocked by forces to allow Lukashenko’s motorcade to pass.

Two months of mass protests

Known as ‘the last dictator of Europe’, Lukashenko has been facing mass protests and numerous accusations since the results of Presidential vote were first announced. The elections, which were held on August 9, saw a competition between Alexander Lukashenko, who was contesting for a sixth term and Svetlana Tikhanouskaya, who joined the race after her husband was jailed.

Belarusians, who were already wary of the country's deteriorating economy and Lukashenko's repression of the opposition coalesced in and around the capital city of Minsk to show their opposition to the leader. The protests snowballed and hundreds of thousands of residents took to streets to oppose the draconian leader. However, Lukashenko engaged in a robust crackdown of the protests and deployed violent methods to curb the protests. Not only did he exiled and thwarted the opposition leaders but also asked his long time ally Vladimir Putin to interfere if protests escalated.

Read:  Belarus: More Than 10 Detained At Minsk Opposition Rally

Read: Belarus: Thousands Of Women Protest Against Lukashenko Demanding His Resignation

What does opposition say?

Opposition in Belarus has rejected the result of the country’s presidential elections, accusing the vote to be rigged and calling for talks before 'peaceful' transfer of power. Tikhanouskaya, who called herself the real winner in the elections, accused her opponent of “massively rigging” the vote. Following which, the opposition has now called for a recounting of the votes at every problematic vote booth. 

Read: Belarus Opposition Leader Tikhanovskaya Calls For Peaceful Rallies After Disputed Election

Read: Belarus Polls: Opposition Rejects Results After Lukashenko Secures Majority

(Image credits: Belarus_News/Twitter)