Belarus elections 2020

[Satem]

Is Lukashenko going to win again? I see more and more videos about protests . Sure there were some even 10 years ago but the scale of recent ones seems to be big.
Already several candidates were denied, for now Lukashenko has just 4 rivals, in which there are 2 women:
Siarhei Cherachen - chairman of the Belarusian Social Democratic Assembly
Hanna Kanapatskaya - member of Parliament (2016-2019)
Andrey Dmitriev - co-chairman of the political movement "Tell the Truth"
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya - wife of Belarusian YouTuber, activist and banned candidate Siarhei Tsikhanouski, she decided to candidate few days after her husband's candidature was cancelled

Elections will take place on 9th August, so probably the official results will be known on 10th August

[Ülev]

my vote goes to ... Alexandar Lukashenkovski

[Satem]

my vote goes to ... Alexandar Lukashenkovski

So still picking potatoes and a bit of vodka will cure covid, yay

[Ülev]

https://youtu.be/RCn-k76xrCQ

[Ülev]

https://youtu.be/-qEAw_ZsDs8

[Ülev]

https://news.tut.by/economics/696007.html

[Ülev]

https://youtu.be/cYrx3EWcBUQ

[Tannhauser]

Violent protests in Belarus after Lukashenko claims election victory



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Y2Sm2Du0iM

[Satem]

bump


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjBeavMsMeo

PPS company commander of the Lida ROVD tells who ordered them to detain protesters(just in Russian with Russian subtitles)

[Tannhauser]

https://www.dw.com/en/belarus-live-updates-fractures-form-in-diplomatic-elite/a-54606687

Belarus live updates: Fractures form in diplomatic elite
Belarus' ambassador to Slovakia is stepping down after siding with protesters calling for President Alexander Lukashenko's resignation. Four other diplomats have also abandoned their posts. Follow DW for the latest.

https://www.dw.com/image/54589329_303.jpg
Protesters hold a red and white banner in Belarus

Germany renews calls for a "national dialogue" between Alexander Lukashenko and the opposition
Belarus' ambassador to Slovakia has stepped down after declaring his support for protesters
EU leaders are to hold an emergency summit on Belarus on Wednesday where they might consider wider sanctions
All updates in Universal Coordinated Time (UTC/GMT)

16:22 The EU should do everything to avert violence in Belarus — but also make clear it is not trying to expand its zone of influence, the head of Germany's parliament, Wolfgang Schäuble, told DW in an exclusive interview.

"Because, the way things are in Belarus right now — you can feel it — it cannot continue," he said.

16:05 People have been gathered outside the National Arts Museum in Minsk in protest of the election results for much of the day. Tuesday marks ten days of continuous protests in the country. Cultural workers have been among those who have been loudly critical of Alexander Lukashenko since the election, which they say was rigged.

The signs read "Genocide?" and "It hurts me too"
https://www.dw.com/image/54613298_401.jpg
Women gather outside of a Minsk museum (Reuters/V. Fedosenko)
The signs read "Genocide?" and "It hurts me too"

15:45 Sweden's Foreign Minister Ann Linde has confirmed the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), a 57-member alliance of which Belarus is a member, would be willing to help conduct dialogue between factions in Belarus.

Sweden is the incoming chair of the organization. Linde said on Twitter she had "offered a visit by the OSCE in order to establish a dialogue with the opposition" to her Belarusian counterpart.


15:10 Russian President Vladimir Putin has spoken with Alexander Lukashenko by phone, Belarusian state-owned news agency Belta reported. Putin told Lukashenko about earlier phone calls with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron, where they urged Putin to foster "calm and dialogue" in Belarus.

Putin has warned against any foreign influences in the former Soviet state. This phone conversation marks the fourth in five days, after Putin offered Lukashenko Russian military aid over the weekend.

15:00 US President Donald Trump has said he would talk to Russia "at the appropriate time" regarding the situation in Belarus.

At a White House event, Trump described the protests as "peaceful" and added "I like seeing democracy. It doesn't seem like it's too much democracy in Belarus.

14:35 President Lukashenko has announced he has deployed military units to Belarus' western borders, the state-owned Belta news agency reported. The defense ministry said they performed flights along the western border to protect the country's airspace.

Additionally, the embattled president denounced the launch of an opposition coordination council, telling Belta that it would be met with strict measures.

"We see it unequivocally: It is an attempt to seize power," Lukashenko said.


The country's interior ministry also acknowledged that a "small part" of the nation's police force has quit since protests began and urged more not to follow suit.


14:05 German Chancellor Angel Merkel's foreign affairs spokesman has confirmed to DW that Germany could take up a role as mediator in the Belarus crisis if asked.

"It's obvious that the elections were manipulated," Jürgen Hardt told DW. "We have so many hints of the manipulation of the elections that new elections are necessary."

"I would appreciate if the European Union itself would take this role of a negotiator or a mediator between the conflict parties," he added. "But if others ask for German politicians to do that for the German chancellor, I think we should step into that role."

Historian Karl Schögel told DW Belarus was seeing an "amazing, European moment — that is not getting enough attention in Germany. He said the protests could see real regime change in Belarus.

Watch video02:21
Germany sees echoes of own past in Belarus
13:50 Alexander Lukashenko has awarded medals for "impeccable service" to law enforcement officials who worked to crack down on protesters over the last 10 days.

In an effort to clamp down on nationwide strikes, Lukashenko's government also issued a message to state-run factories telling them to ensure that workers fulfill their duties.

13:15 EU Council President Charles Michel has spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the situation in Belarus, hours after Putin warned Germany's Merkel against foreign interference in Belarus.

"Only peaceful and truly inclusive dialogue can resolve the crisis in Belarus," Michel wrote on Twitter.


13:10 Protesters have rallied at a prison in Minsk where the husband of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya is being held, on the tenth day of consecutive protests.

Hundreds of people gathered outside the detention birthday and sang "Happy Birthday" to popular blogger Siarhei Tsikhanouski, who was turning 42.

His wife chose to run after her husband, who has spoken out against President Lukashenko's regime, chose to contest the presidential election after her husband was detained.

Tsikhanouskaya, currently in Lithuania, has denounced the "rotting system" in Belarus.

People let off balloons outside a Belarus prison (Reuters/V. Fedosenko)
Protesters let off balloons to mark the birthday of imprisoned blogger Siarhei Tsikhanouski in Minsk

12:25 Lithuania's parliament has overwhelmingly voted for economic sanctions against President Lukashenko's regime in Belarus.

"Today, Lithuania's parliament unanimously passed a resolution refusing to recognize the results of the elections in Belarus and Lukashenko as a legitimate President, calling for free and democratic elections and to sanction those responsible for electoral forgery and inconceivable brutalities," Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius wrote on Twitter.


The sanctions were supported in a vote of 120-0 with two abstentions. Further details of the sanctions were not immediately shared.


11:19 Belarus has seen major disruptions in internet service since the disputed presidential election, with rights groups accusing the government of censorship. To get around the restrictions, many are turning to privacy apps. Read more here.

11:02 Belarusian Ambassador to Slovakia Igor Leshchenya says he is stepping down after declaring his support for anti-Lukashenko demonstrators, according to independent news portal Tut.by. Four other diplomats have followed suit.

Leshchenya said resigning from his post was the "logical step" after he recorded a video message backing the protest movement over the weekend.

"I stand in solidarity with those who peacefully protested on the streets and in the cities of Belarus to make their voices heard," the ambassador said in the video.

Slovakian Prime Minister Igor Matovic has offered Leshchenya asylum in the event that he is not able to return to Belarusia.

Alexander Lukashenko casts his vote
BELARUS IN CRISIS
Allegations of vote fraud
Alexander Lukashenko declared a landslide victory in presidential polls on August 9. According to the official count, the 65-year-old won 80% of the votes while his main challenger, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, got only 10%. Lukashenko's opponents accuse him of rigging the vote to secure a sixth term after 26 years in power.

10:30 German Chancellor Angela Merkel has stressed that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko must move towards talks with the opposition "in order to overcome the crisis."

The chancellor made the comments in a phone call to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Merkel stressed that "the Belarusian government must put a stop to violence against peaceful protesters, release all political prisoners immediately and engage in a national dialogue with the opposition and society," her spokesman Steffen Seibert said.

Read more: EU emergency summit on Belarus: What's at stake?

In a statement, the Kremlin said Putin warned Merkel that foreign interference in the ex-Soviet state would be unacceptable and could escalate the situation.

Belarusians have been protesting for 10 consecutive days against the results of the August 9 presidential election. Lukashenko claimed a landslide win, but the opposition accuses him of rigging the vote to secure a sixth term in office. The international community has widely condemned the election process and the subsequent police crackdown on demonstrators. At least two people have died in the violence and thousands of others have been arrested.

https://www.dw.com/en/belarus-live-updates-fractures-form-in-diplomatic-elite/a-54606687

[The Lawspeaker]

"Elections"