Lukashenko Abruptly Sworn In, Belarus Opposition Calls for More Protests

Lukashenko Abruptly Sworn In, Belarus Opposition Calls for More Protests
Alexander Lukashenko takes the oath of office as Belarusian President during a swearing-in ceremony in Minsk, on Sept. 23, 2020. (Andrei Stasevich/BelTA/Handout via Reuters)
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MINSKIgnoring calls for an end to his 26-year grip on power, President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus was sworn in for a sixth term on Wednesday after an election that the opposition and several foreign governments say was rigged.

The ceremony would normally have been publicized as a major state occasion but was instead held without warning following Lukashenko’s claim of a landslide victory in the Aug. 9 election.