March 25, Pozirk. Alaksandar Łukašenka, who extended his 30-year rule in Belarus through a controversial election dismissed by his critics as a sham, has taken the oath of office.
He said at today’s ceremony that Belarusians demonstrated “electoral sovereignty in action” during the show election held earlier this year.
“Over the years, we have managed to establish an election standard that can serve as an international model,” he claimed.
He also touted his authoritarian system.
“Half of the world dreams of our dictatorship – the dictatorship of real deeds and interests of our people. There is nothing wrong with freedom of speech here. We have more democracy than those who declare themselves to be its standard.”
He went on to claim that everyone in Belarus has the right and opportunity to express their opinions.
The Belarusian ruler timed the ceremony to coincide with Freedom Day, the opposition’s major holiday marking an anniversary of Belarus’ short-lived independence in 1918.
Belarus’ seventh presidential election took place on January 21-26 in a purged political landscape amid a crackdown on critics.
The central election commission declared Łukašenka the winner with 86.82 percent of the vote, while the other candidates were said to receive less than 5 percent of the vote taken together.
The election has drawn severe criticism for the lack of transparency and repressive environment from democratic countries and the exiled Belarusian opposition.
