According to a survey official, the outgoing president of belarus Alexander Lukashenko, runs the country since 1994, was given well ahead of the presidential election that took place Sunday, August 9 in the country. He should win 79.7% of the vote, while the candidate of the opposition, Svetlana Tikhanovskaïa, was given second with 6.8 percent. The official results are expected overnight. Most of the polling stations had to close their doors at 19 hours, but some have been able to stay open because of the very high visitor numbers, with giant cocks.
The campaign of Svetlana Tikhanovskaïa had not responded to these data, but it did not cease to denounce the massive fraud orchestrated by the power to grant a 6th term to the outgoing president. English teacher training, this 37 year old woman had felt that it was “hopeless” to expect a ballot is fair because of “fraud shameless”. The number of observers was kept to a minimum and the international, independent monitors have not been able to come.
also Read “Lukashenko is ready to call on the army to defend his power”
tense Atmosphere
She had called on its supporters to carry bracelets white by going to vote, as a sign of support and to send photos of their ballots in order to organize a count independent. The election took place in a tense atmosphere, with police checks and traffic limited to Minsk, the capital, while armoured tanks, riot vehicles and water cannons were deployed, according to journalists of Agence France-Presse. Songs of opposition resounded from the buildings and cars.
The internet communications were extremely slow or even inaccessible on Sunday. The authorities have warned against any movement in the streets. Small groups of people gathered in the evening in front of various polling stations, according to journalists of Agence France-Presse and the media, while the opposition had called on its voters to remain mobilized during the counting of votes.
journalists of Agence France-Presse have found very long queues to vote in Minsk, such as Moscow, which is home to many Belarusians. The chairperson of the electoral Commission, Lidia Ermochina, has qualified these tails of the “sabotage” of the presidential election and of “provocation” organized by the opposition. Participation was 79 %, according to figures to 18 hours (15 hours GMT).
also Read Belarus : Lukashenko en route to a sixth term in
arrests
After you have voted, Alexander Lukashenko was told that there would be no “loss of control” or “chaos”, then that calls for a protest were broadcast online. Svetlana Tikhanovskaïa, whose ascent has galvanized the republic of Belarus, for its part, has called for an “election fair” after you have voted. The authority has redoubled its efforts to stop its rise after a historic campaign organized with two other women, Véronika Tsepkalo, girlfriend of an exiled opponent, and Maria Kolesnikova, director of the campaign an ex-banker jailed when he wanted to introduce himself.
Saturday, the head of his HEADQUARTERS to campaign, Maria Moroz, was arrested and Maria Kolesnikova briefly arrested. Sunday, Véronika Tsepkalo has favorite from in Russia. According to the NGO Viasna, more than twenty people were arrested Sunday, including three Russian journalists. Nine members of the team Ms. Tikhanovskaïa have also been detained in recent days, according to his campaign.
Read also The Belarus feared the annexation of Russia
No ballot found come since 1995
Vadim Svichkarev, security officer of 49 years, said he hoped a change: “It is very difficult not to move forward for 26 years,” he said in reference to the quarter of a century of power of Alexander Lukashenko. In this context, many fear that the crackdown could intensify in the event of popular opposition. “Knowing the nature ruthless Lukashenko, anyone interested in Belarus will care for the people of belarus in the coming days,” said AFP Nigel Gould-Davies, an analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies and a former british ambassador in Minsk.
Before the emergence of Svetlana Tikhanovskaïa, the main rival of Alexander Lukashenko had been excluded: two are incarcerated, one third is in exile. The three other qualified candidates have not mobilized. The opponent had replaced the foot-lifted in may, her husband Sergey, a blogger to be imprisoned while he was campaigning. In case of victory, she promised to release “political prisoners”, and to organize a constitutional reform and new elections. His power scaling is made on a background of growing economic problems, aggravated by tensions with Russia, accused of seeking to vassaliser Belarus, and the response by the controversial Alexander Lukashenko to the outbreak of the new coronavirus, which he described as a “psychosis.” Belarus has not organized a ballot deemed free since 1995. On several occasions, protests have been matées unceremoniously.
writing will advise you
” Lukashenko is ready to call on the army to defend its power “
