Canada Says Lukashenko 'Lacks Legitimacy' To Be Belarusian President - Foreign Minister

Fahad Shabbir (@FahadShabbir) Published September 24, 2020 | 07:57 PM

Canada does not recognize President Alexander Lukashenko as the legitimate head of state in Belarus following his inauguration a day earlier, Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said in a statement on Thursday

TORONTO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2020) Canada does not recognize President Alexander Lukashenko as the legitimate head of state in Belarus following his inauguration a day earlier, Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said in a statement on Thursday.

"Since the fraudulent presidential elections of August 2020, Alexander Lukashenko continues to display disdain for the people of Belarus by holding a so-called inauguration ceremony behind closed doors today. The inauguration is as illegitimate as the elections it follows. Canada considers that Alexander Lukashenko lacks the legitimacy to be the leader of Belarus," Champagne said.

A presidential inauguration is the internal affair of Belarus and the country is not obliged to inform other states about it, Lukashenko said on Thursday, adding that Minsk did not ask anyone to recognize the presidential election or the legitimacy of the president.

The Belarusian president was congratulated by the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Thursday, which said it "respects the choice of the Belarusian people" and supports the country's drive towards independence and sovereignty.

Washington and its allies in the European Union have already condemned the inauguration and do not consider Lukashenko to be the legitimate president.

On August 9, the Belarusian opposition organized protests after disputing the results of the presidential election in which incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko was reelected for a sixth term by winning 80 percent of the vote. The opposition insists that its candidate, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, won the election.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has repeatedly accused Western nations of direct interference in the situation. Moscow has also voiced its concern over the signs of foreign interference in the internal affairs of Belarus.