In Belarus held a protest ended after the presidential election. According to media reports, in Minsk the police used water cannons and stun grenades to disperse the protesters. Furthermore, it is reported injured in the clashes of protesters with police officers and Riot police, but the MIA did not confirm this information. Meanwhile, according to the Central election Commission of Belarus, on elections of the leader current leader Alexander Lukashenko. The turnout was more than 84%.
9 of August in Belarus have passed elections of the President of the country. Until the closing of polling stations at 20:00 the voting process took place peacefully. However, after in various cities began protests that escalated into clashes with law enforcement.
According to RIA Novosti, police and riot police used stun grenades, tear gas and water cannons to disperse demonstrators in the center of Minsk. Those in the answer threw at militiamen lit the fire and build barricades out of garbage cans.
Journalists on the ground reported wounded among the protesters and several were hospitalized, however, the interior Ministry of Belarus said that no information was available about the victims.
In addition, media reports said the injured police, but the Ministry of internal Affairs has not confirmed this.
As stated by RIA Novosti press-Secretary of the Ministry of internal Affairs of Belarus Olga Chemodanova, “much of what is written on the Internet (about the protests. — RT), is not true”.
Meanwhile, according to the CEC and the exit polls, conducted on behalf of the TV company “Mir”, the incumbent President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko has a strong lead in the elections of the President.
As the head of the Central election Commission of Belarus Lidia Yermoshina, Lukashenko wins in all parts of the country, who reported on the counting of votes in the presidential elections.
According to exit polls, the incumbent leader of the country is gaining 79.7% of the votes, the opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanovski is 6.8%. Other candidates for the position of leader of the country — Andrei Dmitriev, Anna Konopacka and Sergey Carecen received support for 1.1%, 2.3% and 0.9% of respondents, respectively.
However, the opposition believes that this information is not true. In particular, Tikhanovski said it was confident of his victory in the elections.
“We believe exit polls are opaque and cannot rely on data from enclosed areas. We will wait for official results and will send a complaint to defend their rights,” she said.
The turnout at polling stations of Belarus by noon Sunday more than 50%, and by 20:00 exceeded 84%. With up to 9 August, the inhabitants of the Republic had the opportunity over five days to vote early.
In Moscow for the civil��n Belarus opened the polling station at the Embassy, located on the street Maroseyka. In the morning at the entrance to the Embassy formed a long queue. The Embassy explained this situation by the high voter turnout and precautions on the background of the coronavirus threat.
In Russia, the Belarusians had the opportunity to vote in St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad.
the protests
The current election campaign in Belarus was very rich in events.
Of the intention to propose the candidature on a post of the head of state said among the other three new figures in Belarusian politics: the former head of Belgazprombank Viktor Babariko, entrepreneur Valery Tsepkalo and Svetlana Tikhanovski, the wife of the works of Sergei Tikhanovski.
The latter was intended to run himself, but because of some reasons couldn’t do it. Then he focused on the nomination of his wife. May 29 picket to collect signatures in Grodno tikhanovski, was detained. As reported in July, the country’s Investigative Committee in relation to Tikhanovski opened several criminal cases “on the facts of committing premeditated actions aimed at different excitation of social hatred, and incitement to commit violent aggressive actions against law enforcement officers”.
However, the CEC of Belarus adopted Svetlana Tikhanovski.
Babariko was denied registration of claims to it from law enforcement. In June, the law enforcement agencies of Belarus suspected former head of Belgazprombank in financial fraud during the period of work in this establishment. As explained by the Chairman of the state control Committee (SCC) of the Republic Ivan Tertel, the investigation considers that Babariko and his staff for several years brought to Latvia the more than $430 million from the Bank accounts.
Another representative of the opposition — Valery Tsepkalo, the CEC refused to register, claiming a large number of fake signatures in support of his nomination. In July he and his two children left Belarus and went to Russia. In early August, they were joined by the businessman’s wife Veronica. Leaving the country Tsepkalo explained by the fear of criminal prosecution.
After Babariko and Tsepkalo dropped out of the race, the opposition has consolidated around Tikhanovski. In its pre-election speech on TV channel “Belarus 1” she stated that she sought changes in the political life of the Republic, but stressed that the opposition is not going to “Maidan” and ready to protect the state from the pressure of external forces.
