MINSK, August 18. /TASS/. Belarus’ coordination council for peaceful transfer of power that was set up by the opposition on Tuesday hopes that former presidential candidate Svetlana Tikghanovskaya will soon return to the country.

"She did not plan to leave the country," Olga Kovalkova, Tikhanovskaya’s proxy and a council member, told a news conference on Tuesday. "I am sure she will return to Belarus soon. She will face no risks here."

Tikhanovskaya left Belarus after the first results of the August 9 presidential elections were announced. She said it had been her own decision to leave the country, whereas opposition activists insisted she had to do it under pressure.

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 80.08% of the vote. His closest rival, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, scored 10.09% 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. As a result, several thousands of people were detained, dozens of law enforcers and demonstrators were injured. Rallies have been continued ever since.