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Crisis in Belarus

Belarus’ ex-presidential candidate Kanopatskaya demands rerun elections

"People have the right", she wrote on her Facebook account

MINSK, August 16. /TASS/. Former candidate for Belarusian president Anna Kanopatskaya has demanded rerun presidential election be held in the country.

"Your support gives me the right to speak on behalf of each of you: The country needs rerun elections! People have the right!," she wrote on her Facebook account.

"Much is being decided now in the streets of Belarusian cities," Kanopatskaya, who scored 1.68% of votes at last Sunday’s presidential polls, wrote. "My heart and my soul are with the people in Minsk’s streets. However much also depends on what is going on in the quiet of negotiating rooms of our European partners and in courtrooms."

"Common sense, political expedience and understanding that I, the last woman with a legal capacity of a candidate for Belarusian president, call for maximal prudence and rationality. The recent developments impose obligations on me to work in the name of the future of our country, including with power institutions, in talks with European partners, with representatives of civil society," she noted.

On August 9, Belarus held its sixth presidential election since declaring independence in 1991. According to the final results of Sunday’s voting, the incumbent president, Alexander Lukashenko, won 80.1% of the vote. His closest rival, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, scored 10.12% of votes. However, she did not recognize the results of the voting.

Mass protests and clashes with police took place in Minsk and other Belarusian cities on Sunday night into Monday morning after exit poll results were made public. Rallies continued for several days. As a result, several thousands of people were detained, dozens of law enforcers and demonstrators were injured.

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According to Karin Kneissl, in some households, people are already paying more for electricity and heating than for their rent

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Belousov and Austin had a phone call on July 12

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Russia’s FPV drone Gortenzia with fiber-optic cable control used in military operation

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Pope Francis opens Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica

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