EU leaders set for talks over disputed election in Belarus
EUROPEAN Council president Charles Michel has convened an emergency summit of EU leaders to discuss the presidential election in Belarus and the violence in the wake of protests against the result.
Mr Michel tweeted that “the people of Belarus have the right to decide on their future and freely elect their leader” as he said the video conference would take place tomorrow at 11am UK time.
“Violence against protesters is unacceptable and cannot be allowed,” he added.
Demonstrators have repeatedly taken to the streets since the August 9 election which saw Mr Lukashenko claim victory but has been condemned as rigged by critics at home and abroad.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the vote was “fraudulent” and condemned the violence from the Belarusian authorities as they attempted to crack down on the protests.
Mr Raab called for an independent investigation by the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
He said: “The world has watched with horror at the violence used by the Belarusian authorities to suppress the peaceful protests that followed this fraudulent presidential election.
“The UK does not accept the results.
“We urgently need an independent investigation through the OSCE into the flaws that rendered the election unfair, as well as the grisly repression that followed.
“The UK will work with our international partners to sanction those responsible, and hold the Belarusian authorities to account.”
The 27 EU foreign ministers said on Friday that the elections were neither free nor fair and that they refuse to accept the results of the polls, as announced by the Belarus electoral commission.
The announcement came after thousands of factory workers took to the streets yesterday and demonstrators besieged the state television headquarters, raising the pressure on president Alexander Lukashenko to step down after 26 years in office.
On the ninth straight day of protests against the official results of the vote handing him a sixth term, Mr Lukashenko flew by helicopter to a factory in Minsk in a bid to rally support but was met by workers chanting “go away”.
Facing the crowd, the 65-yearold dismissed the calls to step down, vowing: “I will never cave in to pressure.” He said those who intend to go on strike could leave if they want.