World News | Belarus' Authoritarian Leader Claims Foreign Plot Thwarted
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. The president of Belarus said Friday that his government thwarted a foreign-inspired plot to destabilize the ex-Soviet nation before the August presidential election in which he is seeking a sixth term.
Minsk (Belarus), Jun 19 (AP) The president of Belarus said Friday that his government thwarted a foreign-inspired plot to destabilize the ex-Soviet nation before the August presidential election in which he is seeking a sixth term.
The claim by President Alexander Lukashenko followed the detention Thursday of potentially his top election challenger, the former head of a Russia-owned bank, and reflects the growing strain in his relations with Russia.
The authoritarian Lukashenko, who has been in office for nearly 26 years, said, “The authorities have taken preemptive steps and derailed a comprehensive plan to destabilize Belarus.”
"We unmasked not only puppets here, but also some puppet masters outside Belarus,” he said.
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Lukashenko didn't name any specific country, but the statement follows his past rants about Moscow's alleged plans to subdue its ally and neighbour.
Belarusian authorities detained potential presidential candidate and former Belgazprombank chief Viktor Babariko on Thursday after arresting 15 bank executives on tax evasion and money laundering charges and putting the bank under temporary administration.
The Kremlin said it wasn't backing Babariko in the election but warned it would act to protect Russian business interests in Belarus.
Babariko, who has yet to formally register as a candidate, has denounced the arrests as part of an intimidation campaign. His supporters have 435,000 signatures, while a minimum of 100,000 is needed to qualify for the race.
Babariko is widely seen as the strongest of 10 candidates who plan to challenge Lukashenko, who has ruled the nation of 9.5 million with an iron fist since July 1994 and relentlessly cracks down on the political opposition and independent media. (AP)
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)