BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

20/12/2010

Lukashenko Wins Belarus Elections Amid Riots

An opposition demonstrator tries to storm the government building, by breaking a glass door, in Minsk during a rally to protest against the presidential elections in Belarus. Photo by EPA/BGNES

Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko has been reelected, but Sunday's vote resulted in protests and clashes.

According to the Central Elections Commission in Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko has won the elections, - more than 5.1 million people (79.67%) have voted for re-election of the incumbent president for a fourth time.

Then elections were marked by riots and unrest, as several hundred protesters were arrested and taken away by the police. The protesters claimed that the elections have been manipulated in favor of Lukashenko, regarded by the western media as "the last dictator in Europe".

A demonstration was staged in the capital Minsk in support of presidential candidate Vladimir Neklyaev, who was reportedly seriously hurt in clashes with the riot police, suffering head injuries.

Neklyaev and six other oppositional candidates were arrested during the protests which were organized after the results came out. Only two of Lukashenko's nine challengers remain "at large".

Natalia Radzina, the editor-in-chief of Charter97.org, one of the few independent news sources in Belarus, was also beaten unconscious by the riot police in Minsk.

Lukashenko,56, has constantly been in office since 1994.

Source:

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=123371




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