KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko has slammed six months of demonstrations against him as a foreign-directed “rebellion,” and he announced plans for constitutional reforms, which the opposition has rejected as window dressing. His remarks came to 2,700 members of the All-Belarus People’s Assembly in the capital of Minsk, a two-day meeting of delegates nominated by labor collectives in sync with state-controlled unions loyal to him. Lukashenko alleged that “very powerful forces” abroad were behind the protests. In recent months, the authoritarian leader has accused the West of inciting the protests. He convened the group to discuss the country’s development, but the opposition denounces it as an attempt to soothe public anger with vague promises of reform.
Belarus leader vows to defeat foreign-backed ‘rebellion’
