President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko allowed new elections to be held in the republic if a new constitution is adopted. He stated this during a visit to the Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant (MZKT).
“It will be so, men. We need to adopt a new Constitution, which is what you wanted, and even the alternative people were not against it. It should be adopted in a referendum, because we adopted the previous Constitution in a referendum, and according to the new Constitution, if you want, to hold elections for the parliament, the president, and local authorities, ”he said, addressing the workers of the plant.
Also at the meeting, Lukashenka said that work on a new version of the basic law is already underway. According to the president, he was offered two options, which he rejected, as they are too similar to the current document.
Lukashenka also stated that he is ready to share his powers, "but not under pressure or across the street."
“It will be like this, guys ...”
Lukashenka talked to the people during his visit to the MZKT. pic.twitter.com/pPZ8DbgxQ7
The day before, speaking at a rally of his supporters in Minsk, Lukashenka ruled out the possibility of holding a repeat presidential election in the country, saying that then Belarus "will perish as a state."
“Lithuania, Latvia, Poland and, unfortunately, our native Ukraine and its leadership are ordering us to hold new elections. If only we follow their lead, we will go into a tailspin and will never stabilize our airship, ”Lukashenka said.
He also said that if the inhabitants of the republic "ruin the first president of the country," it will be "the beginning of your end."
Since the evening of August 9, protest actions by those dissatisfied with the results of the presidential elections have continued in the country. The protesters demand Lukashenka's resignation as head of state and new elections with the participation of international observers. In the early days, clashes between security officials and demonstrators were reported; later, the events began to take place peacefully.
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Review of the Ambassador of Ukraine in Minsk
Meanwhile, it became known that Ukraine recalled the ambassador to Belarus for consultations in connection with the decision of Minsk to hand over 32 Russians detained in the republic to Russia. This was stated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmitry Kuleba.
“I made a decision to summon the Ambassador of Ukraine to Belarus Igor Kizim for consultations in Kiev to assess the prospects for Belarusian-Ukrainian relations in the new reality. This is the first time in history that we have resorted to such a step in relations with Belarus and we are doing it solely because of the unacceptable actions of Minsk, "he said.
We will remind that the office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine previously sent a request to Belarus for the extradition of detained citizens of the Russian Federation. According to Ukrainian investigators, they allegedly took part in hostilities in Donbass.
Reaction of the European Parliament to the situation in Belarus
MEPs said they do not recognize the results of the presidential elections in Belarus and consider the current leader of the country Alexander Lukashenko persona non grata in the EU. This is stated in a joint statement of the EP parties.
“In a joint statement, the leaders of such factions of the European Parliament as the European People's Party, the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, Renewing Europe, the Greens - the European Free Alliance and the European Conservatives and Reformists, jointly called for new and free elections in Belarus, and strongly condemned violence and torture against peaceful demonstrators organized by Lukashenka’s regime, ”the statement reads.
The European Parliament said that the elections held in Belarus were "neither free nor fair."
“Therefore, we do not recognize Alexander Lukashenko as the re-elected President of Belarus and consider him persona non grata in the European Union,” the EP deputies said.
They added that they support the citizens of the republic in their demand for new and free elections under the supervision of independent observers, and also called for investigating cases of violence against demonstrators.
“We applaud the Belarusian people for their courage and determination and fully support their striving for democratic change and freedom,” the statement says.
The European Parliament also called on to draw up a sanctions list as soon as possible, according to which the persons responsible for the violence and electoral fraud will be banned from entering the EU, and their assets will be frozen.
In turn, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell confirmed that work on sanctions against Belarus is underway.
"As the head of the European Council Charles Michel said, the heads of state and government will discuss the situation in Belarus on Wednesday, I will inform them about the progress on this initiative," RIA Novosti quoted him as saying.
Let us remind you that on August 14 the foreign ministers of the EU countries agreed on the decision to introduce restrictive measures against those responsible for the violence against peaceful demonstrators and the "falsification of elections". They were supported by the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who previously spoke in favor of additional sanctions against those who “violate democratic values or abuse human rights” in Belarus.