Last Wednesday on the 23rd of September, Alexander Lukashenko was secretly inaugurated at the Palace of Independence as Belarusian President for his sixth term in office. “Putting his right hand on the Constitution, Alexsander Lukashenko took the oath in Belarusian. Then he signed the act of taking the oath, after which the chairman of the Central Commission of Belarus on Elections and the Conduct of Republican Referendums, Lidiya Yermoshina, presented Alexander Lukashenko with an ID of the President of the Republic of Belarus.”
In a message to Belarusians on Telegram, opposition leader of Belarus Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said “we all understand what’s happening. This attempt to recognise himself as legitimate only shows that his former powers have ended, and the people didn’t give him a new mandate. Of course, this so-called inauguration is farce.”
According to reports, several loyalists were invited to the ceremony, including Senior Officials, Heads of State Agencies, Members of the House of Representatives, and the Council of the Republic.
During the inauguration, protesters had head to the streets demanding Lukashenko to resign his position as President. Police fired tear gas and arrested more than 150 protesters which triggered new demonstrations and fresh condemnation in the West. The European Union and the United States have responded to Lukashenko’s inauguration by refusing to recognise him as the President of Belarus.
ESO - European Studies Organisation 