Filenews 17 August 2020
Belarusian leader Aleksandr Lukashenko said Monday that he is offering to hand over power after a referendum, in an apparent attempt to appease mass protests and strikes that pose the biggest challenge to his stay in power in 26 years.
The country's powerful man made this proposal, which he insisted would not materialise while under pressure from the protesters, after the opposition politician who has fled abroad, Svetlana Tyhanovskaya, said she intended to lead the country.
In a sign that he is becoming increasingly vulnerable, Lukashenko faced a number of pro-resignation signs during a speech to workers at one of the major state-owned industrial factories that have so far been the boast of his Soviet-style economic model and a major base of support.
Russia has told Lukashenko that it intends to offer military assistance to Belarus in the event of an external threat. The Belarusian president is also facing the threat of EU sanctions following the bloody crackdown on protests in his country following his re-election last week to the presidency, which the protesters accuse of being rigged. He denies losing and cites the official results that give him just over 80% of the vote.
Lukashenko also told workers today that there will be no new presidential elections, as the opposition is calling for, until they kill him.
He also proposed changing the Constitution, in an apparent departure, but which does not seem capable of satisfying the protesters.
"We will put the changes to a referendum and hand over my constitutional powers. But not under pressure or because of the road," Lukashenko noted, according to his statements quoted by the official Belta news agency.
"Yes, I'm not a saint. You know my hard side. I'm not eternal. But if you bring down the first president, you will support neighbouring countries and everything," he stressed.
Speaking in a videotaped message from Lithuania, opposition politician Tyhanovskaya called on security and law enforcement officers to change sides, noting that if they do so now, they will be forgiven for past behaviour.
"I am ready to take responsibility and act as national leader during this period," Tyhanovskaya said, noting that it is vital to make the most of the momentum that exists after a week of mobilizations.
The opposition leader also called for the creation of a legal mechanism to ensure that new fair presidential elections are held.
The video of her message was released as the Interfax news agency reported that staff at the state-run BT network have gone on strike, following the public resignation last week of some presenters and staff members in solidarity with the protesters.
The network was showing reruns Monday morning before it broadcast a new news release. Videos posted on social media show BT at one point showing footage of an empty studio with white sofas having background music.
Reuters could not independently confirm this information, and so far it has not been possible to contact the network for comment.
Thousands of protesters marched in Minsk to a factory where Lukashenko went by helicopter to speak to the workers on strike. There he received boos and a harsh reception.
"Thank you, I said it all. You can (continue to) shout 'resign'," he said, while struggling to hear his voice amid the crowd's chants calling for his resignation. He then left, while the crowd continued to shout: "Resign."
The media Tut.By reported that workers at Belaruskali, one of the world's largest potash production plants, also threatened to stop production. The state-owned company, which is a major source of dollar income for Belarus, announced that its factory is still operating.
Tyhanovskaya is a former English teacher who became one of the most prominent opposition figures in Belarus. She fled abroad last week, saying she was doing it for the safety of her children, but quickly began to release videos in which she called on her fellow citizens to continue anti-government protests.
Mass protests in Belarus spread to parts of society that were usually believed to be loyal to the president, as workers from large state factories staged strike action and some police officers and state media journalists supported the protesters.
The Kremlin also announced yesterday, Sunday, that Russian President Vladimir Putin has told Lukashenko that Moscow intends to assist Belarus under a collective military pact, if necessary, and that pressure is being exerted from abroad in the country, without specifying by whom.
EU leaders are also expected to send a message of solidarity to protesters in Belarus during an extraordinary video conference on Wednesday, while Britain today also joined in with a series of condemnations from Western countries.
"The world watched with horror the violence used by the Belarusian authorities to suppress the peaceful protests that followed this fraudulent presidential election," British Foreign Minister Dominic Raab said.
Source: RES-ICM
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