Belarus President Who Took Office as a Thief Despite Claiming 80.1% Support

Lukashenko Holds Inauguration Without Notifying Media
Seemingly Concerned About Protesters' Backlash
Belarus Faces Over a Month of Anti-Fraud Protests Since Presidential Election

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko held a secret inauguration ceremony. He took the oath of office secretly without informing neighboring countries or even domestically.

Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko delivering an inaugural speech
[Photo by EPA Yonhap News]

On the 23rd (local time), President Lukashenko held an inauguration ceremony at the Independence Palace in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, inviting several hundred political figures. This event was not announced to the media in advance. In Belarus, President Lukashenko's inauguration was expected to take place around the 29th, but it appears to have been moved forward. It is presumed that the ceremony was held secretly due to concerns about protests from demonstrators. At the same time, protests by citizens against the fraudulent election continued in downtown Minsk.

One media outlet pointed out that the inauguration, which was not broadcast on TV and was held with the city center blocked off by the military, reflects President Lukashenko's current position. In last month's presidential election, President Lukashenko was elected with 80.1% of the vote, but Belarusian citizens have protested, claiming the election was fraudulent.

Citizens protesting while holding the old Belarus flag [Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

The Belarusian government has responded to over a month of anti-government protests with a harsh crackdown. Russia is also supporting President Lukashenko, stating that Russian police reserves could be deployed if necessary.

However, it seems that the Russian government was not informed in advance about President Lukashenko's inauguration. Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for the Russian presidential office, said, "No Russian officials were invited to the inauguration in Belarus," and added, "Personally, I do not know anything about this."

In his inauguration speech, President Lukashenko stated, "Recent events have shown that the majority of Belarusians want peace and stability," and "We will solve our problems ourselves without any external involvement."

Belarusian protesters arrested by riot police Photo by AP News

Russian opposition leaders commented on the inauguration, saying, "Where are the citizens cheering at the presidential inauguration, and where are the diplomatic delegations?" and "It has become clear that President Lukashenko is the president only of riot police and a handful of officials who constantly lie."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.