The address was posted in English on YouTube
MINSK, August 19. /TASS/. Ex-Belarusian presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya has called on European leaders not to recognize the outcome of the country’s August 9 presidential election.
“I call on you not to recognize these fraudulent elections,” Tikhanovskaya said in her address to the European Council in English posted on YouTube.
“In order to facilitate a peaceful transition of power in my country, I have initiated the National Coordination Council of Belarus. It will lead the process of peaceful transition of power via dialogue,” she said.
According to Tikhanovskaya, “it will immediately call for new fair and democratic presidential elections with international supervision.” She also called on European leaders to respect the principles of international law, the sovereignty of Belarus and the choice of Belarusian people.
Tikhanovskaya is currently in Lithuania. Her address was posted ahead of the European Union’s emergency summit on the situation in Belarus, which is due to be held in the format of a video conference on Wednesday.
The National Coordination Council was established on Tuesday. It brings together 70 opposition figures. Its major goal is to facilitate peaceful transition of power in the republic. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has dismissed the creation of the Coordination Council by the opposition as an attempt to seize power.
Belarus held the presidential election on August 9. According to the final data of the Central Election Commission, incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko won 80.1% of the vote. Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who was considered as his key rival, garnered 10.12% of the vote. She did not recognize the outcome of the polls.
After the results of exit polls were announced late on August 9, mass protests flared up in downtown Minsk and other cities, which spiraled into clashes with the police. The protests continued for several days and according to the Interior Ministry, several thousand people were detained while dozens of police officers and protesters were injured.
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