MINSK, August 20. /TASS/: Belarus is now undergoing processes similar to the August 1991 coup d'etat attempt, the republic’s Security Council State Secretary Andrei Ravkov wrote on his Facebook page on Thursday.
"29 years ago an attempt was carried out to stage a coup d’etat, which entered history as the August coup attempt, and the anti-constitutional steps of the self-proclaimed State Committee on the State of Emergency deepened chaos in the society, bringing the former great power closer to collapse," Ravkov noted. "Such processes are happening in Belarus today."
According to Ravkov, those who are trying to disturb peace and calm in Belarus, are calling on people to attend rallies and strikes, which will only weaken the country’s economy. "Some our citizens trusted the advice of the protests’ organizers, but they don’t need a strong Belarus," he said. "By seeking to turn back the course of history, they may destroy everything what we reached by hard every day work."
Ravkov called on fellow countrymen to respect each other’s opinion and not to break the law.
Belarus held the presidential election on August 9. According to the final data of the Central Election Commission, incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko won 80.10% of the vote. Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who was considered as his key rival, garnered 10.12%. 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 police. The protests continued for several days and according to the Interior Ministry, over 6,000 people were detained while dozens of police officers and protesters were injured.
Against this background, the staff of major enterprises are holding rallies demanding a new election and checks into the actions of law enforcement agencies. The opposition set up a coordination council to facilitate the transition of power.
