Belarusian presidential election, 2011
Encyclopedia
A presidential election was held in Belarus on 19 December 2010. The election was originally planned for the beginning of 2011. However, the final date was set during an extraordinary session of the National Assembly of Belarus
on September 14, 2010.
Of the ten candidates, incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko
was declared the winner by the Central Election Commission
with 79.67% of the votes. Andrej Sannikaŭ
(Andrei Sannikov) received the second-highest percentage. After a protest was violently suppressed by riot police the night after the election, hundreds of protesters and seven presidential candidates were arrested by the KGB – including runner-up Sannikaŭ.
Western countries
decried the election as a farce and an egregious affront to democracy and human rights. The United States
and the European Union
called for the release of all imprisoned former candidates, but took no further action except a travel ban on Lukashenko. By contrast, countries such as Syria
, China
, Vietnam
, and Russia
congratulated the re-elected incumbent.
, there were several arrests of protesters against the election and referendum results and reports of opposition candidates being beaten by police. More demonstrators were arrested during further protests in the aftermath of the 2006 presidential election
, the so-called "Jeans Revolution
".
During Lukashenko's presidency Belarus has never held a poll seen as fair by Western
monitors.
The new constitution, enacted in 1994, has been amended twice: the first amendment – in 1996 – increased the power of the presidency and established a bicameral parliament. In 2004, the two-term presidential limit was abolished. According to the OSCE, the executive branch of the Belarusian government has significant authority over the other branches; though Article 6 of the constitution of Belarus
includes the principle of separation of powers. It has also stated that the Belarusian political system is composed of weak political party structures with no opposition deputies
in the previous parliament.
, he stated: "I have not yet decided whether I will run [...] There are no factors now that would force me to refuse to participate".
Alaksandar Milinkievič
, of the "For Freedom" movement (Руху "За Свабоду"), initially announced his bid, but canceled it in September.
. Lukashenko referred to the media attack as "dirty propaganda".
Campaigning officially began on November 19, with candidates holding one-to-one meetings across the country and beginning their TV and Radio broadcasts via Belarusian state media. Every candidate was entitled to make two 30-minute broadcasts on Belarusian TV and Radio until 4 December, and could take part in a live media debate.
said that all nine opposition figures were likely to get less than half the vote total incumbent Lukashenko would get. No independent verification of the government polls were allowed.
's campaign press secretary
Aleh Byabenin
(Oleg Bebenin) was found hanged
. Byabenin had been a key member of Sannikaŭ's campaign, and was also director and co-founder of Charter97 – an opposition group and website and one of the few outlets for information on opposition candidates during the election. The official investigation ruled the death as suicide, but Sannikaŭ expressed suspicion; saying that Byabenin had been in good mental health, there was no suicide note, and there were unexplained injuries on the body.
(CEC) said it was ready to cooperate with the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights in monitoring the election.
The CEC issued a warning to Uładzimier Niaklajeŭ
's "Say the Truth!" movement for violating the Electoral Legislation when his organisation gathered signatures of ineligible constituents for "subscription lists."
On 15 December 2010, Andrej Sannikaŭ filed two legal complaint applications with the Central Election Commission, demanding they withdraw the registration of Alexander Lukashenko; and also remove Lidiya Yermoshyna – the chairperson of the CEC – from office. In both cases, Sannikaŭ cited that their positions were illegal. Yermoshyna was a member of Lukashenko's political team, compromising her neutrality; and was under international scrutiny for purportedly rigging the previous election. He also brought up that Lukashenko ignored his own guidelines on how much time presidential candidates were allowed to speak on television (two appearances for 30 minutes each). Lukashenko also had "propagandistic meetings
" at places not included on the Minsk City
Executive Committee list where meetings could be held – Lukashenko held a large event at the Palace of the Republic and funded it with the state budget against the rules. The complaints were ineffective.
. This square
had historically been the site of large protests, such as the violent suppression of the Jeans Revolution
that took place after the disputed 2006 presidential election
. However, riot police had cordoned off the square before the event, and people instead gathered at the nearby Liberty Square. While walking to the rally with about a hundred other people, presidential candidates Uładzimier Niaklajeŭ
and Mikoła Statkievič
were attacked by armed men dressed in black. Niaklajeŭ was beaten to unconsciousness and hospitalized for head injuries. Statkievič later claimed they were attacked by Belarus special forces
.
During the rally up to 40,000 people protested against Lukashenko, chanting, "Out!," "Long live Belarus!" and other such slogans. A group of protesters tried to storm a principal government building, smashing windows and doors before riot police pushed them back. Candidate Vital Rymašeŭski
blamed "drunk provocateurs" for the violence. According to a protester, the demonstrators were largely peaceful and that it was a separate "group of people" who attacked the government building – suggesting also a provocation of force by Belarusian authorities.
According to a protest participant (who is also director of the Belarus Free Theatre
), thousands of demonstrators were beaten by riot police
, and the square was left spattered with blood. She stated she was forced into a prison van and made to lie face down, while prison guards threatened her with murder and rape if she moved. Andrej Sannikaŭ
and his wife Iryna Khalip
were among those attacked by police during the rally; and according to eyewitness statements gathered by Charter 97
, Sannikaŭ was singled out from the crowd by the OMON
for a beating: "Andrei
was beaten by truncheons while he was lying. He was beaten on the head [...] all over the body. Andrei was lying and trying to protect himself with his arms. No one was allowed to come near him, so that people could not defend Sannikov."
Lukashenko criticised the protesters, accusing them of "banditry" and saying that "the vandals and hooligans lost their human face. They simply turned into beasts. You saw how our law-enforcers behaved. They stood firm and acted exclusively within the bounds of the law. They defended the country and people from barbarism and ruin. There will be no revolution or criminality in Belarus." He also added that he could not imagine what more he could have done to make the election more democratic.
, Twitter
, YouTube
, Google talk
, many email
services and LiveJournal
were also blocked. The headquarters of Charter97 was stormed by the State Security Committee of the Republic of Belarus (known by the Russian
acronym "KGB") and all its staff were arrested. The offices of Polish-funded broadcasters Belsat TV
and European Radio for Belarus
had also been raided, while relatives of arrested prisoners were denied access to them.
The presidential candidate Uładzimier Niaklajeŭ
, who had been seriously beaten during the evening of the election day, was taken from the hospital by men in civilian clothing who wrapped him in a blanket on his hospital bed and carried him away as his wife screamed. While journalist Iryna Khalip
and her husband Andrej Sannikaŭ
were on the way to a hospital to treat Sannikaŭ's injured legs, their car was intercepted by authorities while Khalip was giving a telephone interview to the Moscow radio station Ekho Moskvy - Echo of Moscow. Khalip screamed on air that they were being forcibly removed from their car, arrested, and further beaten. Both Khalip and Sannikaŭ were detained in a KGB facility in Minsk. Lukashenko later revealed that Khalip's phone was bugged. Grigory Kostusyev and Dźmitry Uss
were re-summoned for further questions by the KGB after being initially released. Kostusyev responded to the state crackdown saying "the regime has shown its true essence. We've been thrown 10 years into the past."
The State Security Committee of the Republic of Belarus (KGB) charged the activists, while domestic human rights
groups stated they could face up to 15 years in jail. Twenty of the leading opposition figures were facing charges of "organising or participating in a public order disturbance" which is punishable by up to 15 years in jail.
| File:Replace this image male.svg|Michalevič
arrested, tortured
| File:Niakliaew2.jpg|Niaklajeŭ
attacked, arrested, under house arrest
| File:Romanchuk y.jpg|Ramančuk
intimidated
| File:Andrei Sannikov crop1.png|Sannikaŭ
attacked, arrested, sentenced to 5 years
}}
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
on September 14, 2010.
Of the ten candidates, incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko
Alexander Lukashenko
Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko has been serving as the President of Belarus since 20 July 1994. Before his career as a politician, Lukashenko worked as director of a state-owned agricultural farm. Under Lukashenko's rule, Belarus has come to be viewed as a state whose conduct is out of line...
was declared the winner by the Central Election Commission
Central Election Commission of Belarus
The Central Election Commission of the Republic of Belarus is the superior power body responsible for conducting national elections and overseeing local elections in Belarus.-International Cooperation:...
with 79.67% of the votes. Andrej Sannikaŭ
Andrei Sannikov
Andrei Olegovich Sannikov is a Belarusian politician and activist. In the early 1990s, he headed the Belarusian delegation on Nuclear and Conventional Weapons Armament Negotiations, also serving as the Belarusian diplomat to Switzerland. From 1995 to 1996, he served as Deputy Foreign Minister of...
(Andrei Sannikov) received the second-highest percentage. After a protest was violently suppressed by riot police the night after the election, hundreds of protesters and seven presidential candidates were arrested by the KGB – including runner-up Sannikaŭ.
Western countries
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
decried the election as a farce and an egregious affront to democracy and human rights. The United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
called for the release of all imprisoned former candidates, but took no further action except a travel ban on Lukashenko. By contrast, countries such as Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
congratulated the re-elected incumbent.
Historical background
During protests in the aftermath of the 2004 referendum and simultaneous 2004 parliamentary electionBelarusian parliamentary election, 2004
Parliamentary elections were held in Belarus on 17 October 2004, with a second round of voting in two constituencies on 27 October, and a third round in one on 20 March 2005. The vast majority of successful candidates, 97 of 109, were independents...
, there were several arrests of protesters against the election and referendum results and reports of opposition candidates being beaten by police. More demonstrators were arrested during further protests in the aftermath of the 2006 presidential election
Belarusian presidential election, 2006
Presidential elections were held in Belarus on 19 March 2006. The result was a victory for incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko, who received 84.4% of the vote. However, western observers deemed the elections rigged...
, the so-called "Jeans Revolution
Jeans Revolution
The Jeans Revolution was a term used by the democratic opposition in Belarus and their supporters in the West to describe their effort and aspirations as regarding democratic changes in Belarus at the presidential elections of 2006...
".
During Lukashenko's presidency Belarus has never held a poll seen as fair by Western
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
monitors.
The new constitution, enacted in 1994, has been amended twice: the first amendment – in 1996 – increased the power of the presidency and established a bicameral parliament. In 2004, the two-term presidential limit was abolished. According to the OSCE, the executive branch of the Belarusian government has significant authority over the other branches; though Article 6 of the constitution of Belarus
Constitution of Belarus
The Constitution of the Republic of Belarus is the ultimate law of Belarus. Adopted in 1994, three years after the country declared its independence from the Soviet Union, this formal document establishes the framework of the Belarusian state and government and enumerates the rights and freedoms...
includes the principle of separation of powers. It has also stated that the Belarusian political system is composed of weak political party structures with no opposition deputies
Deputy (legislator)
A deputy is a legislator in many countries, particularly those with legislatures styled as a 'Chamber of Deputies' or 'National Assembly'.-List of countries:This is an list of countries using the term 'deputy' or one of its cognates....
in the previous parliament.
Presidential candidates
The election was called by the House of Representatives on 14 September.Lukashenko
President Alexander Lukashenko (who had been serving his third term), when addressing the press in February 2007, stated that his health permitting, he would run in 2011. According to the result of a referendum in 2004, Lukashenko was declared the first President of Belarus and therefore had no term limits. On May 4, 2010, in an interview with ReutersReuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
, he stated: "I have not yet decided whether I will run [...] There are no factors now that would force me to refuse to participate".
Official registration information
| Name | Occupation, party | Number of people in initiative group | Number of signatures handed in | Number of signatures accepted | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryhor Kastusioŭ | Deputy Chairman of the Belarusian People's Front | 1,306 | 100,870 | ||
| Alaksandar Łukašenka Alexander Lukashenko Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko has been serving as the President of Belarus since 20 July 1994. Before his career as a politician, Lukashenko worked as director of a state-owned agricultural farm. Under Lukashenko's rule, Belarus has come to be viewed as a state whose conduct is out of line... |
president | 8,403 | 1,110,149 | ||
| Aleś Michalevič Ales Michalevic Ales Anatoljevich Michalevic is a Belarusian public figure and politician, 2010 presidential candidate in the Republic of Belarus.-Biography:... |
lawyer, leader of the Modernization Union | 1,795 | 111,399 | ||
| Uładzimier Niaklajeŭ Uladzimir Niaklajeu Vladimir Niaklajeu ' born on July 11, 1946 in Smarhon) is a Belarusian poet and writer, and a head of the public campaign Tell the Truth!... |
poet, leader of the "Say the Truth!" movement (Руху "Гавары праўду!") | 3,271 | 180,073 | ||
| Jarasłaŭ Ramančuk Jaroslav Romanchuk Jaroslav Cheslavovich Romanchuk is a Belarusian libertarian economist and politician.He currently works as President of the Scientific Research Mises Center and is Deputy Chairman of the United Civil Party of Belarus.... |
economist, deputy chairman of the United Civil Party of Belarus United Civil Party of Belarus The United Civil Party of Belarus is a centre-right, liberal-conservative party in Belarus. The party opposes the government of Alexander Lukashenko, generally participates in the country's elections, but doesn't have a single member in parliament... |
1,461 | 123,206 | ||
| Vital Rymašeŭski Vital Rymasheuski Vital Rymasheuski is a Belarusian politician and one of the presidential candidates at the 2010 presidential elections in Belarus.Rymasheuski graduated from the Belarusian National Technical University... |
co-chairman of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Belarusian Christian Democracy The Belarusian Christian Democracy is a political movement in Belarus that was created at the beginning of the 20th century and is now being revived by several politicians.- Before World War II :... party |
1,698 | 102,817 | ||
| Andrej Sannikaŭ Andrei Sannikov Andrei Olegovich Sannikov is a Belarusian politician and activist. In the early 1990s, he headed the Belarusian delegation on Nuclear and Conventional Weapons Armament Negotiations, also serving as the Belarusian diplomat to Switzerland. From 1995 to 1996, he served as Deputy Foreign Minister of... |
leader of the "For a European Belarus" movement (Руху "За Еўрапейскую Беларусь"), former Deputy Foreign Minister of Belarus Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Belarus) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus is the Belarusian government ministry which oversees the foreign relations of Belarus.The current Minister of Foreign Affairs is Sergei Martynov. Previous Ministers include Andrei Sannikov.... |
2,001 | 142,023 | ||
| Mikoła Statkievič Mikola Statkevich Mikola Statkevich is a Belarusian politician and presidential candidate at the 2010 election.Mikola Statkevich was born in the Slutsk raion into a family of school teachers... |
chairman of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party | 1,545 | 111,159 | ||
| Viktar Ciareščanka | economist | 1,301 | 109,012 | ||
| Dźmitry Uss Dzmitry Us Dzmitry Us is a Belarusian lawyer and businessman. He was a presidential candidate at the 2010 presidential election in Belarus.Born in Minsk, Dzmitry Us graduated from the University of Hrodna. Since 1992 he was director of the Trivium publishing house, the largest publisher of geographic maps in... |
lawyer and businessman | 1,355 | 104,102 | ||
| Uładzimier Pravalski | businessman | 186 | 118 | ||
| Piotra Barysaŭ | pensioner | 110 | Supported Rymašeŭski | ||
| Siarhiej Hajdukievič Sergei Gaidukevich Sergei Gaidukevich was the Liberal Democratic Party candidate in the 2006 elections for the office of President of Belarus, as well as in 2001 elections.... |
Liberal Democratic Party | 10,443 | Withdrew his candidacy | ||
| Jury Hłušakoŭ | Belarusian Green Party | 243 | Withdrew his candidacy | ||
| Siarhiej Ivanoŭ | unemployed | 129 | Withdrew his candidacy | ||
| Ivan Kulikoŭ | scientist | 107 | Withdrew his candidacy | ||
| Siarhiej Ryžoŭ | manager | 123 | Withdrew his candidacy | ||
Alaksandar Milinkievič
Alaksandar Milinkievic
Aliaksandr Uładzimiravič Milinkevič is a Belarusian politician. He was nominated by the leading opposition parties in Belarus to run against incumbent Alexander Lukashenko in the presidential election on 19 March 2006.-Biography:...
, of the "For Freedom" movement (Руху "За Свабоду"), initially announced his bid, but canceled it in September.
Campaign
The run-up to the campaign was marked by a series of Russian media attacks upon the incumbent Alexander Lukashenko. NTV television broadcast throughout July a multi-part documentary entitled 'The Godfather' highlighting the suspicious disappearance of a number of opposition leaders during the late 1990s, as well as highlighting a statement Lukashenko had made seemingly praising Adolf HitlerAdolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
. Lukashenko referred to the media attack as "dirty propaganda".
Campaigning officially began on November 19, with candidates holding one-to-one meetings across the country and beginning their TV and Radio broadcasts via Belarusian state media. Every candidate was entitled to make two 30-minute broadcasts on Belarusian TV and Radio until 4 December, and could take part in a live media debate.
Opinion polls
The Central Election CommissionCentral Election Commission of Belarus
The Central Election Commission of the Republic of Belarus is the superior power body responsible for conducting national elections and overseeing local elections in Belarus.-International Cooperation:...
said that all nine opposition figures were likely to get less than half the vote total incumbent Lukashenko would get. No independent verification of the government polls were allowed.
Death of Aleh Byabenin (Oleg Bebenin)
In the first week of September 2010, candidate Andrej SannikaŭAndrei Sannikov
Andrei Olegovich Sannikov is a Belarusian politician and activist. In the early 1990s, he headed the Belarusian delegation on Nuclear and Conventional Weapons Armament Negotiations, also serving as the Belarusian diplomat to Switzerland. From 1995 to 1996, he served as Deputy Foreign Minister of...
's campaign press secretary
Press secretary
A press secretary or press officer is a senior advisor who provides advice on how to deal with the news media and, using news management techniques, helps their employer to maintain a positive public image and avoid negative media coverage....
Aleh Byabenin
Aleh Byabenin
Aleh Byabenin was a Belarusian journalist. He was the founder and director of the Minsk-based pro-democracy news website Charter 97. He was also the campaign press secretary and friend of Andrei Sannikov....
(Oleg Bebenin) was found hanged
Hanging
Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain...
. Byabenin had been a key member of Sannikaŭ's campaign, and was also director and co-founder of Charter97 – an opposition group and website and one of the few outlets for information on opposition candidates during the election. The official investigation ruled the death as suicide, but Sannikaŭ expressed suspicion; saying that Byabenin had been in good mental health, there was no suicide note, and there were unexplained injuries on the body.
Monitors
The Central Election Commission of BelarusCentral Election Commission of Belarus
The Central Election Commission of the Republic of Belarus is the superior power body responsible for conducting national elections and overseeing local elections in Belarus.-International Cooperation:...
(CEC) said it was ready to cooperate with the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights in monitoring the election.
The CEC issued a warning to Uładzimier Niaklajeŭ
Uladzimir Niaklajeu
Vladimir Niaklajeu ' born on July 11, 1946 in Smarhon) is a Belarusian poet and writer, and a head of the public campaign Tell the Truth!...
's "Say the Truth!" movement for violating the Electoral Legislation when his organisation gathered signatures of ineligible constituents for "subscription lists."
On 15 December 2010, Andrej Sannikaŭ filed two legal complaint applications with the Central Election Commission, demanding they withdraw the registration of Alexander Lukashenko; and also remove Lidiya Yermoshyna – the chairperson of the CEC – from office. In both cases, Sannikaŭ cited that their positions were illegal. Yermoshyna was a member of Lukashenko's political team, compromising her neutrality; and was under international scrutiny for purportedly rigging the previous election. He also brought up that Lukashenko ignored his own guidelines on how much time presidential candidates were allowed to speak on television (two appearances for 30 minutes each). Lukashenko also had "propagandistic meetings
Government-organized demonstration
Government-organized demonstrations or state demonstrations are demonstrations which are organized by the government of that nation.The Islamic Republic of Iran, the People's Republic of China, Republic of Cuba, the Soviet Union, Fascist Italy, and Nazi Germany among other nations, have had...
" at places not included on the Minsk City
Minsk Raion
Minsk Raion is a second-level administrative subdivision of Belarus in the Minsk Voblast.The administrative seat is the city of Minsk, administratively separated from the raion. The most populated town of the proper raion is Zaslawye....
Executive Committee list where meetings could be held – Lukashenko held a large event at the Palace of the Republic and funded it with the state budget against the rules. The complaints were ineffective.
Election
The Central Election Commission issued results for the election:Protests and crackdown
A large protest rally was organized the evening after the December 19 election at October Square in the center of downtown MinskMinsk
- Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened...
. This square
Town square
A town square is an open public space commonly found in the heart of a traditional town used for community gatherings. Other names for town square are civic center, city square, urban square, market square, public square, and town green.Most town squares are hardscapes suitable for open markets,...
had historically been the site of large protests, such as the violent suppression of the Jeans Revolution
Jeans Revolution
The Jeans Revolution was a term used by the democratic opposition in Belarus and their supporters in the West to describe their effort and aspirations as regarding democratic changes in Belarus at the presidential elections of 2006...
that took place after the disputed 2006 presidential election
Belarusian presidential election, 2006
Presidential elections were held in Belarus on 19 March 2006. The result was a victory for incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko, who received 84.4% of the vote. However, western observers deemed the elections rigged...
. However, riot police had cordoned off the square before the event, and people instead gathered at the nearby Liberty Square. While walking to the rally with about a hundred other people, presidential candidates Uładzimier Niaklajeŭ
Uladzimir Niaklajeu
Vladimir Niaklajeu ' born on July 11, 1946 in Smarhon) is a Belarusian poet and writer, and a head of the public campaign Tell the Truth!...
and Mikoła Statkievič
Mikola Statkevich
Mikola Statkevich is a Belarusian politician and presidential candidate at the 2010 election.Mikola Statkevich was born in the Slutsk raion into a family of school teachers...
were attacked by armed men dressed in black. Niaklajeŭ was beaten to unconsciousness and hospitalized for head injuries. Statkievič later claimed they were attacked by Belarus special forces
OMON
OMOH is a generic name for the system of special units of militsiya within the Russian and earlier the Soviet MVD...
.
During the rally up to 40,000 people protested against Lukashenko, chanting, "Out!," "Long live Belarus!" and other such slogans. A group of protesters tried to storm a principal government building, smashing windows and doors before riot police pushed them back. Candidate Vital Rymašeŭski
Vital Rymasheuski
Vital Rymasheuski is a Belarusian politician and one of the presidential candidates at the 2010 presidential elections in Belarus.Rymasheuski graduated from the Belarusian National Technical University...
blamed "drunk provocateurs" for the violence. According to a protester, the demonstrators were largely peaceful and that it was a separate "group of people" who attacked the government building – suggesting also a provocation of force by Belarusian authorities.
According to a protest participant (who is also director of the Belarus Free Theatre
Belarus Free Theatre
Belarus Free Theatre is a Belarusian underground theatre group.Under the current political system the Belarus Free Theatre has no official registration, no premises, nor any other facilities...
), thousands of demonstrators were beaten by riot police
OMON
OMOH is a generic name for the system of special units of militsiya within the Russian and earlier the Soviet MVD...
, and the square was left spattered with blood. She stated she was forced into a prison van and made to lie face down, while prison guards threatened her with murder and rape if she moved. Andrej Sannikaŭ
Andrei Sannikov
Andrei Olegovich Sannikov is a Belarusian politician and activist. In the early 1990s, he headed the Belarusian delegation on Nuclear and Conventional Weapons Armament Negotiations, also serving as the Belarusian diplomat to Switzerland. From 1995 to 1996, he served as Deputy Foreign Minister of...
and his wife Iryna Khalip
Iryna Khalip
Iryna Khalip is a Belarusian journalist, reporter and editor in the Minsk bureau of Novaya Gazeta, known for her criticism of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko....
were among those attacked by police during the rally; and according to eyewitness statements gathered by Charter 97
Charter 97
Charter 97 is a declaration calling for democracy in Belarus and a human rights group taking its inspiration from the declaration.The document - whose title deliberately echoes the Czechoslovak human rights declaration Charter 77 twenty years earlier - was created on the anniversary of a referendum...
, Sannikaŭ was singled out from the crowd by the OMON
OMON
OMOH is a generic name for the system of special units of militsiya within the Russian and earlier the Soviet MVD...
for a beating: "Andrei
Andrei Sannikov
Andrei Olegovich Sannikov is a Belarusian politician and activist. In the early 1990s, he headed the Belarusian delegation on Nuclear and Conventional Weapons Armament Negotiations, also serving as the Belarusian diplomat to Switzerland. From 1995 to 1996, he served as Deputy Foreign Minister of...
was beaten by truncheons while he was lying. He was beaten on the head [...] all over the body. Andrei was lying and trying to protect himself with his arms. No one was allowed to come near him, so that people could not defend Sannikov."
Lukashenko criticised the protesters, accusing them of "banditry" and saying that "the vandals and hooligans lost their human face. They simply turned into beasts. You saw how our law-enforcers behaved. They stood firm and acted exclusively within the bounds of the law. They defended the country and people from barbarism and ruin. There will be no revolution or criminality in Belarus." He also added that he could not imagine what more he could have done to make the election more democratic.
Censorship, raids
Several websites of the opposition and opposition candidates were blocked or hacked. FacebookFacebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
, YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, Google talk
Google Talk
Google Talk is a freeware voice over Internet protocol client application offered by Google Inc. The first beta version of the program was released on August 24, 2005...
, many email
Email
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
services and LiveJournal
LiveJournal
LiveJournal is a virtual community where Internet users can keep a blog, journal or diary. LiveJournal is also the name of the free and open source server software that was designed to run the LiveJournal virtual community....
were also blocked. The headquarters of Charter97 was stormed by the State Security Committee of the Republic of Belarus (known by the Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
acronym "KGB") and all its staff were arrested. The offices of Polish-funded broadcasters Belsat TV
Belsat TV
Belsat TV is a satellite television channel aimed at Belarus. It is intended to provide an alternative to the censorship of Belarusian state-run television. Its slogan is "Belsat - your right to choose"...
and European Radio for Belarus
European Radio for Belarus
European Radio for Belarus is an international radio station based in Warsaw that provides independent news, information, and entertainment to the citizens of Belarus since February 2006...
had also been raided, while relatives of arrested prisoners were denied access to them.
Arrests
Up to 700 opposition activists, including 7 presidential candidates, were arrested in the post election crackdown. Furthermore, at least 25 journalists were arrested; a detained Russian press photographer went on hunger strike on December 21, 2010. According to a detainee, after being shipped to a detainment center after the protests, there were rows of men on every floor standing facing the walls with their hands behind their backs. Women were separated and moved to another floor. Guards made them spend the night standing with faces to the walls, and every detainee was forced to sign statements confessing to "taking part in an unsanctioned rally." 639 prisoners received immediate prison sentences of up to 15 days.The presidential candidate Uładzimier Niaklajeŭ
Uladzimir Niaklajeu
Vladimir Niaklajeu ' born on July 11, 1946 in Smarhon) is a Belarusian poet and writer, and a head of the public campaign Tell the Truth!...
, who had been seriously beaten during the evening of the election day, was taken from the hospital by men in civilian clothing who wrapped him in a blanket on his hospital bed and carried him away as his wife screamed. While journalist Iryna Khalip
Iryna Khalip
Iryna Khalip is a Belarusian journalist, reporter and editor in the Minsk bureau of Novaya Gazeta, known for her criticism of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko....
and her husband Andrej Sannikaŭ
Andrei Sannikov
Andrei Olegovich Sannikov is a Belarusian politician and activist. In the early 1990s, he headed the Belarusian delegation on Nuclear and Conventional Weapons Armament Negotiations, also serving as the Belarusian diplomat to Switzerland. From 1995 to 1996, he served as Deputy Foreign Minister of...
were on the way to a hospital to treat Sannikaŭ's injured legs, their car was intercepted by authorities while Khalip was giving a telephone interview to the Moscow radio station Ekho Moskvy - Echo of Moscow. Khalip screamed on air that they were being forcibly removed from their car, arrested, and further beaten. Both Khalip and Sannikaŭ were detained in a KGB facility in Minsk. Lukashenko later revealed that Khalip's phone was bugged. Grigory Kostusyev and Dźmitry Uss
Dzmitry Us
Dzmitry Us is a Belarusian lawyer and businessman. He was a presidential candidate at the 2010 presidential election in Belarus.Born in Minsk, Dzmitry Us graduated from the University of Hrodna. Since 1992 he was director of the Trivium publishing house, the largest publisher of geographic maps in...
were re-summoned for further questions by the KGB after being initially released. Kostusyev responded to the state crackdown saying "the regime has shown its true essence. We've been thrown 10 years into the past."
The State Security Committee of the Republic of Belarus (KGB) charged the activists, while domestic human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
groups stated they could face up to 15 years in jail. Twenty of the leading opposition figures were facing charges of "organising or participating in a public order disturbance" which is punishable by up to 15 years in jail.
Aftermath
victor| File:Replace this image male.svg|Michalevič
Ales Michalevic
Ales Anatoljevich Michalevic is a Belarusian public figure and politician, 2010 presidential candidate in the Republic of Belarus.-Biography:...
arrested, tortured
| File:Niakliaew2.jpg|Niaklajeŭ
Uladzimir Niaklajeu
Vladimir Niaklajeu ' born on July 11, 1946 in Smarhon) is a Belarusian poet and writer, and a head of the public campaign Tell the Truth!...
attacked, arrested, under house arrest
| File:Romanchuk y.jpg|Ramančuk
Jaroslav Romanchuk
Jaroslav Cheslavovich Romanchuk is a Belarusian libertarian economist and politician.He currently works as President of the Scientific Research Mises Center and is Deputy Chairman of the United Civil Party of Belarus....
intimidated
| File:Andrei Sannikov crop1.png|Sannikaŭ
Andrei Sannikov
Andrei Olegovich Sannikov is a Belarusian politician and activist. In the early 1990s, he headed the Belarusian delegation on Nuclear and Conventional Weapons Armament Negotiations, also serving as the Belarusian diplomat to Switzerland. From 1995 to 1996, he served as Deputy Foreign Minister of...
attacked, arrested, sentenced to 5 years
}}
attacked, arrested, sentenced to six years
| File:Replace this image male.svg|Uss
Dzmitry Us
Dzmitry Us is a Belarusian lawyer and businessman. He was a presidential candidate at the 2010 presidential election in Belarus.Born in Minsk, Dzmitry Us graduated from the University of Hrodna. Since 1992 he was director of the Trivium publishing house, the largest publisher of geographic maps in...
arrested, passport confiscated, sentenced to 5.5 years
| File:Replace this image male.svg|Rymašeŭski
| File:Replace this image male.svg|Kastusioŭ
| File:Replace this image male.svg|Ciareščanka
}}
Lukashenko's chief election rivals were either intimidated (Jarasłaŭ Ramančuk
Jaroslav Romanchuk
Jaroslav Cheslavovich Romanchuk is a Belarusian libertarian economist and politician.He currently works as President of the Scientific Research Mises Center and is Deputy Chairman of the United Civil Party of Belarus....
) or sentenced to prison terms just long enough to ensure they will be unable to participate in the 2015 elections (Andrej Sannikaŭ, Mikoła Statkievič
Mikola Statkevich
Mikola Statkevich is a Belarusian politician and presidential candidate at the 2010 election.Mikola Statkevich was born in the Slutsk raion into a family of school teachers...
and Dzmitry Us
Dzmitry Us
Dzmitry Us is a Belarusian lawyer and businessman. He was a presidential candidate at the 2010 presidential election in Belarus.Born in Minsk, Dzmitry Us graduated from the University of Hrodna. Since 1992 he was director of the Trivium publishing house, the largest publisher of geographic maps in...
). Opponent Uładzimier Niaklajeŭ
Uladzimir Niaklajeu
Vladimir Niaklajeu ' born on July 11, 1946 in Smarhon) is a Belarusian poet and writer, and a head of the public campaign Tell the Truth!...
is under house arrest for an unknown period of time. Candidate Ales Michalevič
Ales Michalevic
Ales Anatoljevich Michalevic is a Belarusian public figure and politician, 2010 presidential candidate in the Republic of Belarus.-Biography:...
was released from detention on February 15, 2011; in a press conference on March 1, he accused the KGB of torturing him and other former candidates while he was in custody.
On February 17, a Belarus court sentenced an opposition activist to four years in jail for taking part in the post-election protests. On March 2, 2011, Alyaksandr Atroshchankau – a spokesman for candidate Sannikaŭ, and who had been working as a journalist for Delfi during the December protests – was sentenced to 4 years in prison for violating "Article 293" of the penal code (organizing and taking part in a mass riot). Atroshchankau and many others are listed as prisoners of conscience by Amnesty International.
Andrej Sannikaŭ was convicted of the charge of "organizing a mass protest" on May 14, 2011 and sentenced to five years in a high-security prison.
Reactions
The WestWestern world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
generally denounced the election as fraudulent; the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
renewed a travel ban effective January 31, 2011 – prohibiting Lukashenko and 156 of his associates from traveling to EU member countries – as a result of violent crackdowns of opposition supporters by Lukashenko's government forces following the election.
Lukashenko's inauguration ceremony of 22 January 2011 was boycotted by European Union ambassadors, while fellow CIS countries
Commonwealth of Independent States
The Commonwealth of Independent States is a regional organization whose participating countries are former Soviet Republics, formed during the breakup of the Soviet Union....
did not send officials higher than ambassadors. During this ceremony Lukashenko defended the legitimacy of his re-election and vowed that Belarus would never have its own version of the 2004 Ukrainian
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
Orange Revolution
Orange Revolution
The Orange Revolution was a series of protests and political events that took place in Ukraine from late November 2004 to January 2005, in the immediate aftermath of the run-off vote of the 2004 Ukrainian presidential election which was claimed to be marred by massive corruption, voter...
and Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
's 2003 Rose Revolution
Rose Revolution
The "Revolution of Roses" was a change of power in Georgia in November 2003, which took place after having widespread protests over the disputed parliamentary elections...
.
Domestic – Lukashenko called the percentage of voters who voted for him "quite good". According to Lukashenko his opponents got few votes because "the ex-candidates had not committed any deeds to convince the Belarusian nation to vote for them. People learned their names two months before". He also stressed: “They may have a great future ahead of them but they have to work for it. If they do it, they will find their place in Belarus and will always enjoy support of the incumbent president”.
International organisations – The Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon is the eighth and current Secretary-General of the United Nations, after succeeding Kofi Annan in 2007. Before going on to be Secretary-General, Ban was a career diplomat in South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations. He entered diplomatic service the year he...
noted the serious concerns voiced by observer groups regarding the electoral process and post-electoral developments and called on the government to observe fully human rights and due process. He also called on Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko to release political prisoners arrested following the elections. – The Commonwealth of Independent States
Commonwealth of Independent States
The Commonwealth of Independent States is a regional organization whose participating countries are former Soviet Republics, formed during the breakup of the Soviet Union....
recognised the election as legitimate. – The EU High Representative
High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy is the main co-ordinator and representative of the Common Foreign and Security Policy within the European Union...
Catherine Ashton said in an official statement that "unfortunately, the trend set by the relative progress during the campaigning period was not followed by a transparent and fair polling process. It is especially regrettable that election night was marred by violence, which I strongly condemn. In particular, the beating and detention of several opposition leaders, including presidential candidates, is unacceptable." The President of the European Parliament
President of the European Parliament
The President of the European Parliament presides over the debates and activities of the European Parliament. He or she also represents the Parliament within the EU and internationally. The President's signature is required for enacting most EU laws and the EU budget.Presidents serve...
Jerzy Buzek
Jerzy Buzek
Jerzy Karol Buzek is a Polish engineer, academic lecturer and politician who was the ninth post-Cold War Prime Minister of Poland from 1997 to 2001...
added that "beating independent election candidates is unacceptable. The action was outrageous"; he also launched an European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
ary investigation into the election.
-
- A joint statement from the Foreign Ministers of the Czech RepublicCzech RepublicThe Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
(Karel SchwarzenbergKarel SchwarzenbergKarel Schwarzenberg or Karel, Prince of Schwarzenberg , 7...
), GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(Guido WesterwelleGuido WesterwelleGuido Westerwelle [] is a German liberal politician, who, since 28 October 2009, has been serving as the Foreign Minister in the second cabinet of Chancellor Angela Merkel, and who was Vice Chancellor of Germany from 2009 to 2011. He is the first openly gay person to hold either of those positions...
), PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
(Radosław Sikorski) and SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
(Carl BildtCarl Bildt, Honorary KCMG is a Swedish politician, diplomat and nobleman. Formerly Prime Minister of Sweden from 1991 to 1994 and leader of the liberal conservative Moderate Party from 1986 to 1999, Bildt has served as Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs since 6 October 2006...
) on December 23 declared that "there can be no business-as-usual between the European Union and Belarus’ president, Aleksandr Lukashenko, after what has happened since the presidential election in Belarus[.] [...] continued positive engagement with Mr. Lukashenko at the moment seems to be a waste of time and money. He has made his choice — and it is a choice against everything the European Union stands for." They added that "while the voting proceeded in an orderly fashion, the counting of the votes turned into a charade. The report of the independent observers assessed the counting as 'bad' or 'very bad' in nearly half the polling stations they could observe, and it is not unreasonable to assume that it was even worse in the others. It became obvious that there were orders not to count votes, but to deliver a predetermined result. The combination of vote-rigging and outright repression makes what MilosevicSlobodan MiloševićSlobodan Milošević was President of Serbia and Yugoslavia. He served as the President of Socialist Republic of Serbia and Republic of Serbia from 1989 until 1997 in three terms and as President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1997 to 2000...
tried to do in Serbia in 2000 pale in comparison. What we have seen brings back memories of the introduction of martial law in Poland in 1981Martial law in PolandMartial law in Poland refers to the period of time from December 13, 1981 to July 22, 1983, when the authoritarian government of the People's Republic of Poland drastically restricted normal life by introducing martial law in an attempt to crush political opposition to it. Thousands of opposition...
."
- A joint statement from the Foreign Ministers of the Czech Republic
- OSCE – The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe called the election "flawed" and that Belarus has a "considerable way to go in meeting its OSCE commitments." In response, Lukashenko said the OSCE had no right to speak about events in Belarus which happened after the election. He also called the OSCE criticism "amoral" because Belarus is an OSCE member and thus "experts and officials are subordinate to virtually 56 heads of state, including the Belarusian president."
Expressions of congratulations – President
President of Azerbaijan
The country of Azerbaijan is a presidential republic, with the President of Azerbaijan as the head of state, and the Prime Minister of Azerbaijan as head of government...
Ilham Aliyev
Ilham Aliyev
Ilham Heydar oglu Aliyev is the President of Azerbaijan since 2003. He also functions as the Chairman of the New Azerbaijan Party and the head of the National Olympic Committee...
congratulated Lukashenko. – Premier Hu Jintao
Hu Jintao
Hu Jintao is the current Paramount Leader of the People's Republic of China. He has held the titles of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China since 2002, President of the People's Republic of China since 2003, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission since 2004, succeeding Jiang...
congratulated Lukashenko. – President
President of Georgia
The President of Georgia is the head of state, supreme commander-in-chief and holder of the highest office within the Government of Georgia. Executive power is split between the President and the Prime Minister, who is the head of government...
Mikheil Saakashvili
Mikheil Saakashvili
Mikheil Saakashvili is a Georgian politician, the third and current President of Georgia and leader of the United National Movement Party.Involved in the national politics since 1995, Saakashvili became president on 25 January 2004 after President Eduard Shevardnadze resigned in a November 2003...
congratulated Lukashenko on his victory. – Nursultan Nazarbayev
Nursultan Nazarbayev
Nursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev has served as the President of Kazakhstan since the nation received its independence in 1991, after the fall of the Soviet Union...
congratulated Lukashenko. The Chairman of the Kazakh Senate
Senate of Kazakhstan
The Senate of Kazakhastan is the upper house of two chambers in Kazakhstan's legislature, known as the Parliament . The Senate has 47 members, 40 of whom are elected for six-year terms in double-seat constituencies by the local assemblies, half renewed every two years; and 7 presidential...
, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, also said that "the people of Belarus voted for the incumbent president, and this choice will enjoy the respect of Kazakhstan." – Although President Dmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev is the third President of the Russian Federation.Born to a family of academics, Medvedev graduated from the Law Department of Leningrad State University in 1987. He defended his dissertation in 1990 and worked as a docent at his alma mater, now renamed to Saint...
commented on December 20 that the Belarusian election was an internal matter and wished for good relations between the two neighbouring states; Medvedev waited until December 25 before he officially congratulated Lukashenko. Russian electoral observers also said the election was legitimate.
-
- Patriarch of Moscow Kirill I congratulated Lukashenko on his re-election. – President Bashar al-AssadBashar al-AssadBashar al-Assad is the President of Syria and Regional Secretary of the Ba'ath Party. His father Hafez al-Assad ruled Syria for 29 years until his death in 2000. Al-Assad was elected in 2000, re-elected in 2007, unopposed each time.- Early Life :...
congratulated Lukashenko. – President Viktor YanukovychViktor YanukovychViktor Fedorovych Yanukovych is a Ukrainian politician who has been the President of Ukraine since February 2010.Yanukovych served as the Governor of Donetsk Oblast from 1997 to 2002...
sent a letter of congratulations to Lukashenko. The Foreign Ministry stated that it would take into account the views of international observers in formulating its opinion about the election and expressed concern about the use of violence against opposition demonstrators. One Ukrainian member of the OSCE election observation mission, parliament deputyVerkhovna RadaThe Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is Ukraine's parliament. The Verkhovna Rada is a unicameral parliament composed of 450 deputies, which is presided over by a chairman...
of the Party of RegionsParty of RegionsThe Party of Regions is an Ukrainian political party created on October 26, 1997 just prior to the 1998 Ukrainian parliamentary elections under the name of Party of Regional Revival of Ukraine. It was reformed later in 2001 when the party united with several others...
Oleksandr Stoyan, stated he saw no violations during the election and hoped that the Party of Regions would welcome the election result. – President Hugo ChávezHugo ChávezHugo Rafael Chávez Frías is the 56th and current President of Venezuela, having held that position since 1999. He was formerly the leader of the Fifth Republic Movement political party from its foundation in 1997 until 2007, when he became the leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela...
congratulated Lukashenko. – PresidentPresident of VietnamThe President of Vietnam is the head of state of Vietnam, although the functions of the President are often ceremonial...
Nguyễn Minh Triết congratulated Lukashenko on his victory.
- Patriarch of Moscow Kirill I congratulated Lukashenko on his re-election. – President Bashar al-Assad
Expressions of concerns – Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski stated that a "reliable source" had informed him that the official results of the election had been falsified. – On the night of the election, the Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt
Carl Bildt
, Honorary KCMG is a Swedish politician, diplomat and nobleman. Formerly Prime Minister of Sweden from 1991 to 1994 and leader of the liberal conservative Moderate Party from 1986 to 1999, Bildt has served as Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs since 6 October 2006...
reacted sharply about the news of a crackdown on the opposition rally in Minsk and said that the beating of Niakliayeu "is very disturbing and totally unacceptable." – The United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
did not recognise the result as legitimate and called for the immediate release of all opposition presidential candidates arrested by authorities.
-
- In a joint statement on 24 December 2010, US Secretary of StateUnited States Secretary of StateThe United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
Hillary Clinton and the EUHigh Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security PolicyThe High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy is the main co-ordinator and representative of the Common Foreign and Security Policy within the European Union...
's Catherine Ashton called for the immediate release of all 600 detained demonstrants as well as all presidential candidates. Both the EU and the US backed the OSCE's report asking Belarusian authorities to complete the reform of the electoral process it demanded. They said that without "considerable progress" in respect to democracy and human rights relations between Belarus and the EU and the US would not improve: "The Government of Belarus should take the steps necessary to create political space for political activists, civil society representatives, and independent journalists. The elections and their aftermath represent an unfortunate step backwards in the development of democratic governance and respect for human rights in Belarus. The people of Belarus deserve better." - On March 17, 2011 the United States SenateUnited States SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
unanimously passed a resolution condemning the election as illegitimate and fraudulent; and calling on the Belarus regime to immediately release all political prisoners captured during the peaceful election protests.
- In a joint statement on 24 December 2010, US Secretary of State
Analysis
Though opposition figures alleged intimidation and "dirty tricks" were being played, Al JazeeraAl Jazeera
Al Jazeera is an independent broadcaster owned by the state of Qatar through the Qatar Media Corporation and headquartered in Doha, Qatar...
reported that the election was seen as comparatively open as a result of desire to improve relations with both Europe at-large and the United States.
Political scientists and commentators said that Lukashenko's handling of opposition protests is seen as the result of the choice of his government to trade a foreign policy loss for a perceived domestic gain in regards to worse relations with the European Union in return for a stable internal political situation. However, this was seen as fragile, as dissidents remain active (up to 25% of the population), though dissident leaders are marginalised and left out of any meaningful cooperative mechanism thus strengthening their isolation and opposition to current ruling élite. Lukashenko's main achievement, effective state-building
State-Building
State-building is a term used in state theory. It describes the construction of a functioning state. This concept was first used in connection to the creation of states in Western Europe and focused on the power enforcement of state in society ....
of Belarus, is seen as in possible danger because of the lack of consensus over a shared Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
ian national identity, one that is still divided between an older Soviet-base one, and supported by the government, versus a symbolic medieval-based one, advocated by the opposition.
New government
On December 28, Lukashenko appointed Mikhail MyasnikovichMikhail Myasnikovich
Mikhail Uladzimiravich Myasnikovich is the current Prime Minister of Belarus. He was appointed Prime Minister by President Alexander Lukashenko following the 2010 presidential election.-Personal life:...
as Prime Minister to replace Sergei Sidorsky.
External links
- Presidential elections in Belarus
- Opposition protest pictures - pictures where you can see opposition protest about rigged elections.