Tuesday, December 30, 2025
ADVT 
National

Belarus election 'fraudulent': Champagne

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 17 Aug, 2020 09:45 PM
  • Belarus election 'fraudulent': Champagne

Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne says Canada does not accept the results of the "fraudulent" presidential election in Belarus.

He says Canada is calling for "free and fair elections" in Belarus, where authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko is under increasing pressure to step down.

The statement from Champagne comes as strikes grew across Belarus, following a brutal dispersal of peaceful, post-election demonstrations last week.

At least 7,000 were detained by riot police, many complaining they were beaten mercilessly, while one protester was killed and hundreds were wounded.

Champagne, who spoke with opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya over the weekend, says Canada condemns the crackdown on protesters.

He is also calling for a thorough investigation by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, whose assessments of elections are widely regarded as authoritative.

"Canada joins its partners in the international community in condemnation of the crackdown on peaceful protesters following the presidential election in Belarus," Champagne says in the statement.

"We do not accept the results of this fraudulent presidential election in Belarus and call for free and fair elections," he says.

"Canada will continue to stand with the people of Belarus, and we will work with our international partners to ensure that their voices are heard and that those responsible for undermining democracy and for brutal actions against protesters are held to account."

MORE National ARTICLES

Bad chocks, brake training blamed for crash to prime minister's plane

Bad chocks, brake training blamed for crash to prime minister's plane
Military investigators have revealed the sequence of events that led the Royal Canadian Air Force plane normally used by the prime minister to run into a tow tractor and hangar wall and suffer severe damage.

Bad chocks, brake training blamed for crash to prime minister's plane

Senate ethics committee urges censure of Tory senator over trip to China

Senate ethics committee urges censure of Tory senator over trip to China
The Senate's ethics committee is recommending that a Conservative senator be censured for breaching the upper house’s ethics code when he accepted an all-expenses paid trip to China in 2017.

Senate ethics committee urges censure of Tory senator over trip to China

Surrey RCMP recover items stolen from schools

Surrey RCMP recover items stolen from schools
Search warrants executed at three separate residences, led Surrey RCMP to the seizure of items stolen from Surrey schools during a series of break and enters.

Surrey RCMP recover items stolen from schools

New data sees small increase in veterans' historical risk of suicide

New data sees small increase in veterans' historical risk of suicide
The federal government has released updated figures showing once again that Canadian veterans are at greater risk of suicide than those who have never served in uniform.

New data sees small increase in veterans' historical risk of suicide

Prices faced by consumers rising faster than inflation rate, BoC deputy says

Prices faced by consumers rising faster than inflation rate, BoC deputy says
The prices Canadians have reported paying for goods and services have been rising more than the official inflation rate, a senior Bank of Canada official says.

Prices faced by consumers rising faster than inflation rate, BoC deputy says

Pandemic-related changes to court system might become permanent: top judge

Pandemic-related changes to court system might become permanent: top judge
Canada's top judge says some of the innovations that courts have embraced during the COVID-19 pandemic might become permanent.

Pandemic-related changes to court system might become permanent: top judge