Kyiv, Ukraine
The authoritarian leader of Belarus on Thursday slammed six months of demonstrations against him as a foreign-directed “rebellion,” and he announced plans for constitutional reforms, which the opposition has rejected as window dressing.
Speaking to 2,700 participants of the All-Belarus People’s Assembly in the capital of Minsk, President Alexander Lukashenko alleged that “very powerful forces” abroad were behind the protests.
Lukashenko didn’t elaborate, but in the past several months, he has repeatedly accused the West of fomenting the protests.
“We must stand up to them no matter what, and this year will be decisive,” he said at the opening of the two-day assembly made up of delegates nominated by labor collectives in sync with state-controlled unions loyal to Lukashenko.
He convened the group to discuss plans for the country’s development, but the opposition has denounced it as an attempt to shore up his rule and soothe public anger with vague promises of reform.—Reuters
