In Belarus began protests and clashes after the polls closed
Presidential elections in Belarus ended on Sunday, demonstrating a high turnout of 79%. After the announcement of first data of exit poll, according to which incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko wins, gaining 79.7% of the votes, the situation escalated: the voters at the call of the opposition began to gather at polling stations to "control the vote count" in some cities, arrests started, police began to disperse the protesters.
Voters could vote for one of five candidates for the presidency: it is the co-Chairman of public Association "Tell the truth" Andrey Dmitriev, ex-Deputy Anna Konopacka, the acting head of state Alexander Lukashenko, a housewife of svetalana Tikhanovski, the Chairman of the party "Belarusian social-democratic Gramada" Sergey Cerecer. At the same time Belarusians would vote against all candidates.
Most polling stations closed at 20: 00 (same as GMT). The voter turnout according to the CEC at 18.00, was 79%: thus, the elections were held.
According to preliminary data of exit poll, Lukashenko is gaining 79.7% of the second place by a wide margin was Tikhanovski from 6.8%. A similar result was shown by a telephone polling company Ecoom: his data suggest that Lukashenka is supported 78,9% of respondents.
As the head of the CEC Lidziya Yarmoshyna, Lukashenko is leading in the elections according to the results of counting of votes in closed areas in the five regions Tikhanovski in second place. However, the final results of the elections CEC of Belarus expects to bring in next Friday.
According to Yarmoshyna, received a lot of complaints, but they're all typical "examine nothing."
As reported RIA Novosti on Sunday by telephone from Minsk coordinator of the group, the head of the Federation Council Committee on regolithic Oleg Melnichenko, observers along the lines of the IPA CIS revealed no irregularities that could affect the outcome of the vote in the elections.
Thus the oppositional candidates declare "gross violations" during the counting of votes.
After the announcement of exit poll data, the first number of voters in Minsk at the call of opposition leaders began to approach the plots for "control over the counting of votes". The opposition also called on his supporters to gather at Victory square in the center of Minsk near the Stela "Minsk – hero city".
However, before the polling stations closed and the police forces started to shrink to the stele, which is close to the Independence Palace which is the residence of the President. Soon militiamen began to detain participants in an unauthorized rally.
Now, according to the correspondent of RIA Novosti, the stele had already gathered several thousand people. In turn, the police pulled a considerable force to disperse the crowd, in the area of the square was used stun grenades.
Security forces began to disperse the crowd in Victory square, the opposition lights the fire and throws them in the direction of security forces.
Detentions began on Lenin square in the center of Vitebsk. According to Sputnik of Belarus, the entrances to nearby yards square were blocked by traffic police. Later, the police loudspeakers urged residents not to gather in Lenin square. While protest actions in the regional center was not observed.
In Brest the riot police began to disperse the people gathered at the protest at the intersection of the Soviet and Masherau avenues in the city centre.
In Grodno, where more than a thousand people gathered for an unsanctioned protest action, is detained. Militiamen also applied tear gas against the protesters.
Not everything went smoothly and on the stations abroad: Belarusians are dissatisfied that they had to vote in the elections to the closure of the station in Moscow, gathered at the Embassy on Maroseika. In the early days of the Embassy lined up a huge queue, as the building was launched in small groups due precautions against the background COVID-19.
To date, a spontaneous rally near the Embassy of Belarus in Moscow is over, but some people still continue to stand at the intersection of these two streets and Starosadskii lane.
As have informed RIA of news in Embassy of Belarus in Russia, at the site in Moscow was able to vote a little more than 3 thousand people.
Several dozen people gathered outside the Belarus Embassy branch in Saint-Petersburg. They told RIA Novosti that he was not able to vote before the polling station closed about a thousand people. They noted that the Department of the Embassy there was only one voting booth.
According to some in the audience, they are going to wait for election results at the Consulate. Near the Embassy are police officers, not more than ten people. The situation is calm.
Several dozen citizens of Belarus were to hold a meeting at the Embassy in Kyiv, demanding to open the polling stations. Those present at the protest demanded that it went to the Ambassador and the Embassy to vote in the election of the President of Belarus.
After the protesters did not wait for the Ambassador, they decided to complete the rally and to continue the dialogue on the Independence square (Independence square) in Central Kiev. They said that on Monday at 7: 00 (same as GMT) will come again to the Embassy to find out the results of the vote.
Not able to vote and everyone to do in Warsaw, according to the exit poll conducted by the Foundation "Belarusian house".
According to the study, during the hours from 8.00-22.00 (9.00-21.00 MSK) on land located in the building of the Belarusian diplomatic mission, was able to get only 243 people. Already in the morning at the Embassy of Belarus were quite tense due to the fact that wanting to vote is much more bandwidth of the polling station.
In the moments before you land in Warsaw there were more than a thousand people. Turn more than a kilometer long stretch on both sides of the street Vertica where the mission is located. While at the polling station were installed only one booth and one ballot box.
Total voting in the election of the President of Belarus was formed 5767 polling stations, including 44 was formed at Belarusian embassies and consulates in 36 countries. The vote took place in closed areas - in military units, sanatoria, dispensaries, rest homes, hospitals and other health care organizations that provide medical assistance in stationary conditions. In addition, voters who for health or other valid reasons could not come to the election day in the premises for voting, were entitled to apply to the precinct election Commission with a request to arrange voting at their place of residence.
In the voter lists in Belarus includes more than 6.84 million people, of which about 1.24 million live in Minsk, 5319 abroad.