Reuters: “Facing growing protests that have posed the biggest challenge to his 26 years in power, President Alexander Lukashenko said on Monday he was ready to share power in Belarus, although not under pressure from the streets.”
“His apparent concession came after exiled opposition politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said she was willing to lead the country. Amid increasing demands to quit after the biggest protest against him yet, Lukashenko faced heckling from workers at a factory he visited in Minsk on Monday morning with people chanting ‘Step Down’ as he tried to answer their questions. Opponents of Lukashenko say he rigged a presidential election on Aug. 9 to secure a sixth term in power. He denies losing, citing official results that gave him just over 80% of the vote. He told workers on Monday there would be no new presidential election, something the opposition wants, until he was killed. The official Belta news agency quoted him as saying he would be willing to share power however, and to change the constitution, but that he was not prepared to do so under pressure from protesters. Work was already underway on possible changes to the constitution that could redistribute power, Belta reported him as saying.”