Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Thursday decried the months-long protests against him as a foreign-directed “blitzkrieg,” and boasted that the onslaught had failed to overthrow his government.
“Despite the tensions in society artificially created by external forces, we survived,” Lukashenko said, adding that Belarus “will hold out no matter what”. The embattled leader then called on his supporters “to resist” the pressure “at all costs,” and said that 2021 will be a “decisive” year.
Lukashenko, who has been dubbed “Europe’s last dictator” by his critics, has been in power for more than 26 years. After securing a six-term as president in August last year, tens of thousands of citizens took to the streets to protest the results and have continued to do so every day since, calling for his resignation. The opposition claims that the election was rigged and has demanded re-election followed by significant constitutional reforms. Belarusian authorities have cracked down heavily on protests, detaining hundreds every day, and imprisoning critics and journalists. The country’s main opposition candidate, Svetlana Tsikhanovskaya, has taken refuge in neighbouring Lithuania due to security concerns.
While addressing the 2,700-participant strong All-Belarus People’s Assembly in Minsk today, which was filled with his ardent supporters, the president alleged that “very powerful” foreign forces were fomenting instability in Belarus, and dismissed the idea of electoral fraud, stressing that there was no doubt that he had won a strong majority. “If some don’t like 80 [percent], let it be 76 or even 68!” he said. “But we won it anyway, we were backed by an overwhelming majority.” The EU as well as the United States (US) have refused to recognise the results of the vote, and have introduced sanctions against the country’s authorities for their brutal suppression of dissent.
The two-day congress of pro-government delegates is expected to discuss political reforms and socio-economic development of the former Soviet republic over the next five-year period. Lukashenko announced that a set of constitutional changes, as demanded by the opposition, would be drafted by the year-end and put to a nationwide vote in early 2022. “During this year, the draft Constitution will be ready and will be discussed by society. And early next year it will be voted on in a referendum,” he said. The leader also hinted at his possible departure, saying that it was important that Belarus “remain a presidential republic” even after the end of his rule. “The time will come, other people will come,” he said, adding, “they are already knocking on the door. I hear that.” Previously, the president had promised to step down after the country adopts a new constitution.
However, his critics have denounced the assembly as a sham, calling it nothing but political theatre. Franak Viacorka, a senior advisor to Ms. Tsikhanovskaya, said that the president was “gathering loyalists” to “legitimise the usurper in the eyes of the people.”
Today is an important day! Lukashenko is gathering loyalists at the so-called All Belarusian People's Assembly to legitimize usurper in the eyes of the people. Because Lukashenka understands that he lost people's support, and he is still clinging on to power by all possible means pic.twitter.com/WVSrcPhxdH
— Franak Viačorka (@franakviacorka) February 11, 2021
Meanwhile, the Latvian foreign ministry called on Lukashenko to organise free and fair elections “without delay.”
The so-called Belarusian People’s Congress is a sham. We call on Alexander Lukashenko to hold an open democratic dialogue with the people of Belarus, release political prisoners, stop repression of civil society, and organize free&fair elections without delay ⚪🔴⚪ @LV_Belarus
— Latvian MFA (@Latvian_MFA) February 11, 2021
The US embassy in Minsk also said in a statement that Thursday’s assembly is “neither genuine nor inclusive of Belarusian views and therefore does not address the country’s ongoing political crisis.”