Riot police and protestors have reportedly clashed in various cities of Belarus after the long-time ruler Alexander Lukashenko gained the majority in Sunday’s election.
Local media reported that the Minsk police used tear gas to disperse the crowd, and there have also been reports of injuries. The state TV’s exit poll suggested that the incumbent President Lukashenko won nearly 80 percent of the vote.
Meanwhile, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, the main opposition candidate, said that she did not trust the exit poll, which gave her 7 percent of the vote. On Sunday evening, while talking to media reporters, Svetlana said that she believes her eyes and knows that majority of people are with her.
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Earlier, the opposition had said that they expected the election to be rigged, saying that they would keep an alternative count of the votes. The 37 years old teacher entered the election in place of her husband, who has jailed and not allowed to participate in the vote.
Since 1994, Lukashenko has been in power and vowed that the situation in Belarus would remain under control. Moreover, the lead-up to Sunday’s vote a crackdown of journalists and activists as the country was rocked by biggest demonstrations in years.
On Sunday, in Minsk, there were several reports of clashes in the city center. According to eyewitnesses and news reporters, the riot police fired rubber bullets and tore gas to disperse the crowd.
Meanwhile, several ambulances have been seen rushing at the scene. The footage emerged that showed protesters fighting riot police in the capital and local media reports also suggest that police has also made several arrests.
An angry crowd in the streets of Belarus has called on the President to step down, chanting ‘Go away’. In Zhodino and Brest, similar demonstrations are being staged overnight. Earlier, an internet monitoring group said that due to protests, the connectivity had been disrupted across the country, leading to an information-vacuum in the time of crisis.
Last month, many defied the crackdown on opposition and joined the biggest such demonstration in more than a decade. According to Human Rights Center Viasna, since May, more than 2,000 people have been detained. Meanwhile, on the eve of the vote, the opposition also said that their campaign manager has been arrested and is expected to be released on Monday.
