Violent clashes between protesters and police in Belarus

Minsk and several other Belarusian cities have been gripped by unrest since the announcement of provisional election results. Alexander Lukashenko has claimed a landslide victory in the election, marking the start of his sixth term in office, while protesters have accused the country of electoral fraud.

Opposition forces have dismissed as unrealistic the provisional results of the presidential election in Belarus, which show incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko winning more than 79 percent of the vote.

His election rival, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, won only 6.8 percent of the vote, according to the same results. The announcement of these results prompted protests in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, as well as in some other cities in the country.

International news agencies have reported violent clashes between security forces and protesters. It is said that at least one person was killed and more than 120 people were arrested during the unrest. The exact number of injured has not yet been released.

"I believe what I see with my own eyes. I see that the majority is behind us," said Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, Lukashenko's main rival in the country's presidential election, after the provisional results were announced.

This comes while Lidiya Yermushina, the head of Lukashenko's election team, has called on Tikhanovskaya to accept and admit her defeat in the election.

The voice of the protesters

“It is impossible to accept the results of such an election,” Tikhanovskaya’s spokesman said after the provisional results of the Belarusian presidential election were announced. “It seems that a state-run polling agency is announcing an 80 percent victory for Lukashenko, and such a result has nothing to do with reality,” she said.

Experts on international politics also consider the statistics and results announced by the Belarusian government to be unrealistic. Belarus is currently facing a severe economic crisis, and in recent weeks, growing discontent among the country's people has fueled protests against Lukashenko.

Clashes have broken out between Tikhanovskaya supporters and police in many Belarusian cities, with thousands reportedly gathering in central squares to protest against alleged election fraud.

Videos posted on social media show police forces treating protesters in Minsk, including using tear gas to disperse them.

Although the streets of major Belarusian cities, including Minsk, were reported to be quiet in the early hours of Monday, August 10, the opposition announced on social media that protests against Lukashenko would continue.

It is said that the election site has been inaccessible. In addition, access to many websites has also been disrupted. This is while the Telegram network is still accessible.

Inefficient government

A member of Tikhanovskaya's campaign team has reported an unprecedented political crisis in Belarus. The opposition has accused Lukashenko's government of tampering with the election results. The opposition claims that turnout in many constituencies has exceeded 100%.

Tikhanovskaya believes that the Belarusian government is incapable of governing the country and must admit that the majority of the country's people are against Alexander Lukashenko's continued rule.

It should be noted that Tikhanovskaya became a presidential candidate after the arrest and exclusion from the election race of her husband, Sergei Tikhanovskaya, a well-known blogger in Belarus.

Alexander Lukashenko has ruled Belarus for 26 years now. His victory in the country's controversial presidential election would effectively mean his sixth term in office.

Source: DW