You may continue shouting 'resign.'"

He took control of the newly independent country shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union. "Until you kill me, there will be no new elections," Lukashenko said, according to BBC producer Will Vernon.

"You speak about unfair elections and want fair ones?" the president asked. Belarus’s wealthy business leaders have negligible political clout. Embattled Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has told protesters that he will not allow new elections, despite mass demonstrations calling on the strongman to step down amid allegations of vote-rigging in the contest held earlier this month.Lukashenko claims to have won 80 percent of the vote in the August 9 presidential election.

Lukashenko Says 'Until You Kill Me, There Will Be No New Elections' | WorldBelarus' President Alexander Lukashenko speaks with a worker as he visits the Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant, in Minsk, on August 17, 2020. "There will be no re-election," he added, claiming that the country's industries would be "destroyed in half a year" if he left office. Tom Balmforth covers Russia and other former Soviet republics from his base in Moscow.Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty © 2020 RFE/RL, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in Belarus to contest the claimed election victory of the president, Alexander Lukashenko, and met a violent police response.

Lukashenko said Saturday that Putin had offered "comprehensive help" under the terms of a collective security agreement between Russia and former Soviet states.The Kremlin said Sunday it was prepared to provide military backing to Lukashenko's regime, suggesting "external pressure" was behind the unrest. Here's what you need to know about the 2020 Belarus election, which could signal the end of Europe's last dictatorship. Workers could be heard heckling Lukashenko as he left the stage.Lukashenko has been unable to subdue the protests, and on Sunday tens of thousands of people turned out in Minsk for what organizers claimed was Belarus' largest-ever demonstration. He defeated challenger and former schoolteacher Svetlana Tikhanouskaya, who has since fled to Lithuania fearing for her safety.But this latest election—which he claims secured him a sixth term in office—has galvanized Belarusian voters, bringing tens of thousands of people into the streets despite a Workers in state-run factories have joined protesters on the streets, refusing to return to work until Lukashenko allows full and fair elections. On the other hand, independent Ukraine was built on a ready-made fault line. MINSK -- When Belarus became an independent country on August 25, 1991, it seemed like a dream come true for Anatol Sidarevich.To comment on a portion of text or report a mistake or typo, select the text in the article and press Ctrl + Enter (or click A small group of activists celebrates Belarusian Independence Day in Kyiv, capital of neighboring Ukraine. "I have an answer for you.

"You will not live to see the day I do anything under pressure," he said, according to the Russian state-backed Tass news agency.

We had the elections," he continued. MINSK -- When Belarus became an independent country on August 25, 1991, it seemed like a dream come true for Anatol Sidarevich.

Belarus isn’t.

Independence Day is a non-working On Monday, Lukashenko visited the Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant in the capital city to speak to workers, but was met with heckling and eventually stormed off stage.Despite the evident popular anger, Lukashenko stubbornly stuck to his script and said no new elections would be held. The president then told the crowd: "Thank you. Following the biggest opposition rally in the history of independent Belarus last Sunday, thousands of protesters continue to gather in Minsk's Independence Square during the evening. ... says Katia Glod, an independent expert on Belarus. It was only with the partitions of the Commonwealth (1772, 1793 and 1795) that it was brought into the Russian Empire. Independence Day of the Republic of Belarus (Belarusian: Дзень Незалежнасці Рэспублікі Беларусь, Russian: День Независимости Республики Беларусь), also known as Republic Day or Liberation Day is a public holiday, the independence day of Belarus and is celebrated each year on July 3. . Around 13,000 Russian troops are due to take part in exercises, though … For centuries modern Belarus was the heartland of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and then a major part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

Belarus has historically been associated with Poland and Lithuania. Tikhanovskaya has said she is prepared to act as interim leader and take power while new elections are organized.Lukashenko, meanwhile, has been appealing to Russian President Vladimir Putin for support, warning his long-time ally that his defeat could also pose a threat to the Kremlin.
Why Is Belarus Protesting?