Lukashenko Sworn in; Protests Amplify

Belarusian protestors gather to denounce Lukashenko after 2020’s election, which was suspected of being rigged. (Wikimedia Commons)

Embattled Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko officially signaled the beginning of his sixth term in office amidst protests calling for his resignation. The inauguration ceremony took place in secret on September 23; state-run media only reported on the event after it took place, in a move largely seen as a way to prevent protesters from demonstrating on-site.

Lukashenko's speech, delivered in front of an invitation-only crowd of 700 at the Palace of Independence in the capital city of Minsk, avoided any specific reference to the ongoing election crisis. The President did, however, mention his pride in that Belarus was “among the very few—even, perhaps, the only ones—where the color revolution did not take place,” referring to the string of anti-authoritarian popular movements that overthrew several Eastern European governments in the 1990s and early 2000s. 

Predictably, news of the inauguration prompted a new wave of protests. According to Belarusian human rights organization Viasna, whose office in Minsk was once forced to close by the Lukashenko government, at least 327 people were arrested on September 23 alone. Pavel Latushko, a former Lukashenko ally turned state theater director—and recently fired from that position for expressing support for the protestors—urged his supporters to demand new elections and “begin an indefinite action of disobedience.”

Protesters gathered in numbers on September 27 in Minsk, drawing a crowd estimated to be 100,000 strong - many of them wearing crowns as a sign of mockery. This gathering happened to be the 50th consecutive day of protests, and the OMON, Belarus’s specialized riot police, responded with pepper spray and water cannons. At least 340 people were arrested across the country.

Foreign reactions followed soon after: officials from the European Union and the U.S. released statements refusing to recognize Lukashenko as the legitimate president of Belarus. Though neither declaration acknowledges his main political rival, the currently exiled Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, as legitimate, it is clear to see that the West has rejected Belarus’ Head of State. The Russian government, which recently granted a $1.5 billion loan to Lukashenko, has not yet released a statement. However, in the days following the ceremony, Lukashenko met in person with the governors of the Russian oblasts of Irkutsk, Omsk, Pskov, and Leningrad, intending to establish further economic ties. 

Lukashenko can likely count on continued assistance from Russia and may even make overtures with the People’s Republic of China. The question of whether these actions are enough to counteract the discontent from many of his country’s citizens and denouncements from the wider world remains.