Belarusian President, Alexander Lukashenko, has been inaugurated for a seventh term.
This follows after Lukashenko was declared winner of the January 26 elections, broadly seen as neither fair nor free.
According to the Central Election Commission of Belarus, Lukashenko won the January presidential election with 86.82% of the vote, followed by regime-approved and little-known candidates like Sergey Syrankov with 3.21% or Oleg Gaidukevich with 2.02%.
In the presence of the country’s top officials, as well as numerous guests at the Independence Palace in Minsk, Lukashenko placed his right hand on the Constitution of Belarus and took the oath in the Belarusian language.
He swore to faithfully serve the people, respect and protect the rights and freedoms of people, observe and protect the nation’s constitution.
After that, the head of state signed the document confirming his assumption of office.
Chairman of the Central Election Commission, Igor Karpenko presented Lukashenko with a presidential certificate.
More than 1,100 people were invited to the inauguration, including the country’s top leaders representing all three branches of power, presidential confidants during the last elections, members of the National Assembly, representatives of political parties and public associations, religious organizations, and the media.
Russia is represented by its ambassador to the Republic Boris Gryzlov.
Lukashenko has been a key ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, allowing Moscow’s forces to use Belarus as a launching ground for the invasion of Kyiv and missile attacks in 2022.
Lukashenko Hails Belarus’ Election Standards
In his inauguration address, Lukashenko said that Belarus has “its own standards for holding elections, which can become an international benchmark.”
He claimed that Belarus ensures everyone’s opportunity to express their opinion but “will not allow freedom of speech to be used as a club to destroy our own country.”
“Our victory is a new historic chance, an opportunity to do even more for the benefit of native Belarus. This is why the key thing is that you live in your own country, in our own land. This is why you should never and nowhere be afraid of anything.
“You are masters of your country. You make all the decisions on your own. You have earned this right. Not only our generation but also the previous one has earned it by paying a very steep price.”
Alexander Lukashenko
Also, he expressed his loyalty to the Belarusian people, saying, “Your President has never abandoned you and never will.”
He iterated that he will never betray them and will not flee. “You are my entire life and I will pour maximum effort into justifying the huge trust you’ve placed in me,” he added.
“I wish all of us peace, health, happiness, joy, inexhaustible energy for accomplishing the majestic tasks that people have set for us. We have no other right and no other possibility but to do it. And we will do it! The choice has been made. The time for new victories is about to come!”
Alexander Lukashenko
In power since 1994, Lukashenko’s dictatorial rule has been marked by a harsh crackdown on political opposition, free media, and civil society.
In 2020, Lukashenko also declared himself the winner despite independent pollsters saying that his opponent, independent candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, won the most votes.
The election fraud sparked mass protests, which were followed by a violent crackdown and mass arrests.
After the inauguration ceremony, Belarussian servicemen took an oath of allegiance to the people and the President in a ceremony at the National Flag Square, located near the Independence Palace.
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