Former Belarusian presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya in her video address on YouTube has urged the workers of the country’s enterprises to continue and expand the strikes, TASS reported.
“Workers of Belaruskali, the Minsk Tractor Plant, Grodno Azot, and other enterprises! The future of Belarus, which also means the future of our children depends now on your unity and your determination. So I am asking you to continue and to expand the strikes. Don’t get intimidated. Get united,” she said.
She named the strikes a legal and effective method of fighting. She added that “millions have already been donated to the support foundations.” Among the goals of strikes she again noted the necessity “to end violence, to release political prisoners and to conduct transparent, free and honest elections.”
In Belarus, where the presidential election was held on August 9, mass protest rallies of those disagreeing with the election results have been continuing. In the early days these rallies were accompanied by clashes between protesters and law enforcement forces. Employees of large enterprises expressed dissatisfaction with the situation, holding rallies with demands to conduct a new election.
According to the final results of the Central Election Commission, incumbent president of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko got 80.1% of the vote. Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who was considered his main opponent, came second with 10.12%. She refused to recognize the election results. Later Tikhanovskaya left for Lithuania and announced that she was ready to become the nation’s leader. Despite the calls of the opposition, Belarusian industrial enterprises lately have been functioning as usual, the protest activity has decreased significantly.
