MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd September, 2020) Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko was sworn in for his sixth consecutive term on Wednesday, prompting some European nations as well as the country's opposition to decry Lukashenko as an illegitimate head of state.
In August, Lukashenko was declared the winner of the Belarusian presidential election to the chagrin of the opposition that since has been naming Svetlana Tikhanovskaya as the actual winner. Massive protests have swept the country as a result, ushering a prolonged political and social turmoil.
The swearing-in ceremony is supposed to be held within two months after the election, which took place on August 9, meaning until October 9.
While there were no prior signs, in the morning hours of Wednesday, bloggers and journalists noticed some activity around the Independence Palace in Minsk, the president's working residence. The building was under enhanced security and various officials started arriving, including the man of the hour himself. Two protesters were arrested near the palace.
The inauguration ceremony featured approximately 700 guests, without any foreign dignitaries or even ambassadors to Minsk.
The ceremony was not broadcast for the public in violation of the country's laws. Only the state-run Belta news agency broke the news to the world.
The European countries and Belarusian opposition figures residing abroad immediately reacted to the unexpected news calling Lukashenko an illegitimate president. Slovakia was the first to react.
"Alexander #Lukashenko, inaugurated today, has no legitimacy to lead his country. He is responsible for presidential elections in #Belarus which were neither free nor fair. Slovakia stands with citizens of Belarus," Slovak Foreign Minister Ivan Korcok tweeted.
Similar statements were made by Poland, Germany, the Baltic countries.
Former presidential candidate Tikhanovskaya called herself the only leader chosen by the Belarusian people, despite previously refraining from styling herself as the country's future president.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin refused to comment on the matter.
"Id' rather not comment on this. This is a sovereign, internal decision of the Belarusian leadership," presidential spokesman Peskov said.
Lukashenko's sudden move demonstrates that the beleaguered leader is ready to raise the stakes, likely triggering a new wave of protests.
"This is tied to the complicated domestic situation in the country, and he expedited his new term, without waiting for November, considering that representatives of some western countries already announced that they would not recognize the authorities in Belarus starting November ... Lukashenko decided to up the stakes, " Vladimir Zharikhin, the deputy director of the Institute of CIS Countries told Sputnik.
A member of the Russian Presidential Council on Interethnic Relations, Bogdan Bezpalko, sees Lukashenko's actions as a sign of indecisiveness.
"This rush with the inauguration reflects Lukashenko's lack of self-confidence. He wants very much to solidify his legitimacy so that Europe, the US as well as other countries would recognize him as the president of Belarus after November 5 as well," the expert told Sputnik.
Immediately after the ceremony, the opposition supporters took to Minsk streets in protest, with calls for large-scale response abound. At the same time, police vans and paddy wagons were spotted in the center of Belorussian capital.
