Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who was declared the winner of presidential elections widely viewed as forged, has held an unannounced inauguration in his presidential place.
The Sept. 23 inauguration was kept secret even from Lukashenko’s closest ally, Russia.
Dmitry Peskov, the spokesperson for Russian President Vladimir Putin, told the Russian RBC news agency that he had no clue about the event and that a Russian delegation wasn’t invited.
Lukashenko’s secrecy isn’t unexpected. Since the Aug. 9 presidential election, which the international community and Belarus opposition leaders consider to be forged, over 100,000 people have been taking the streets each Sunday demanding Lukashenko leave the office.
“Today we witnessed an unprecedented situation,” Pavel Latushko, a high-profile member of the opposition Coordination Council, wrote in his Telegram channel. He was forced to flee the country on Sept. 2 after facing threats.
“The president, who claims to have won more than 80% of the vote, conducted a special operation to inaugurate himself, under the protection of riot police, in an atmosphere of secrecy, within a narrow circle of hastily organized officials,” said Latushko.
“Where are the jubilant citizens?” he added.
Secret inauguration
A presidential inauguration has long been considered a projection of power for the country’s leader. Members of parliament, foreign delegations and high-profile guests are usually among the invitees for such events, which are scheduled weeks in advance.
In Belarus, the inauguration was made public post-factum. Even state television channels weren’t aware that the event was taking place.
The inauguration was held in Lukashenko’s presidential palace, without cameras and with a mere 200 people in attendance.
Early on Sept. 23, the road from Lukashenko’s residence to the presidential palace was closed. Key buildings were patrolled by riot police and special forces of the local KGB. The presidential palace was heavily guarded.
Independent news agencies began reaching out to Belarusian government officials, most of whom declined to comment. Lukashenko’s press secretary, Natalia Ejsmont, told Belarusian news agency Tut.by that the inauguration date will be announced shortly, with independent journalists suggesting that a rehearsal was taking place.
Meanwhile, Lukashenko entered the presidential palace.
There, he swore an oath on the constitution, signed official documents presented to him by Lidia Yermoshina, head of the Belarusian Central Election Commission, made a short speech and left.
The inauguration took less than 20 minutes, less than the average episode of a television show.
Government officials in attendance were transported out in unmarked buses.
Meanwhile, state-owned television channels were showing Russian soap operas, bypassing the law that requires them to show the inauguration. Only the government-controlled Belta news agency reported that the inauguration had taken place a few minutes prior.
“Inauguration is a day of our common, convincing victory,” Lukashenko said, according to Belta.
Soon, people began taking to the streets in protest, while the largest Telegram channel in Belarus, Nexta, began urging people to gather in downtown Minsk after work.
Soon, police began arresting the demonstrators.
Leave!
Lukashenko’s unannounced weekday inauguration aimed to downplay the significance of the event. In earlier conversations with the Kyiv Post, Belarusian journalists noted that a public inauguration could lead to a new wave of popular upheaval.
Protests erupted in Belarus on Aug. 9 after preliminary results from the country’s presidential election declared Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus for 26 years, the winner with over 80% of the vote. Unofficial exit polls suggested that opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya had won with a similar percentage.
Several electoral commissions that reportedly did not engage in fraud posted results showing Tikhanovskaya receiving over 70% of the vote on average.
The European Union, Ukraine and the United States did not acknowledge the results of the election and urged Lukashenko to hold talks with the opposition.
Read More: Lukashenko falsifies election, declares war on Belarusians
Despite mass protests every Sunday demanding a fair election, the release of the regime’s political prisoners and Lukashenko’s resignation, the Belarusian dictator has not backed down.
Lukashenko accused his western neighbors of meddling in Belarus’ internal affairs and has been asking Russian President Vladimir Putin for help.
“If Belarus collapses today, Russia will be next,” Lukashenko told Russian state media on Sept. 8.
On Aug. 21, Lukashenko’s press service confirmed that Belarusian state television channels had hired Russian journalists to replace local one’s who went on strike or quit their jobs. After a head-to-head meeting with Putin in Sochi, on Sept. 14 the Russian Federation provided Belarus with an additional $1.5 billion loan to stabilize the country’s plunging economy.
Meanwhile, Belarus protesters have faced unprecedented brutality from the local riot police and special forces of the Belarusian security agency.
At least six people were killed by the police, hundreds were injured and over 10,000 were detained. Those detained were held for days without official charges and faced torture in captivity.
Opposition leaders were deliberately targeted by the regime.
Tikhanovskaya was forced to flee to Lithuania on Aug. 11. In September, six of the seven members of the presidium of the Belarus Coordination Council were either imprisoned or forced out of the country by means of threats and intimidation.
“We will never accept falsification and demand new elections! We call on everyone to start an indefinite action of disobedience!” Latushko wrote on Telegram after the inauguration.
