Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has officially taken office,
RIA Novosti reports.
Lukashenko has taken the oath and swore to serve for the welfare of
the Belarusian people. The inauguration ceremony was broadcast on all
Belarusian channels.
Alexander Lukashenko was elected on December 19 for a 5-year term. He
received 79.65% of the vote. The Central Electoral Commission of
Belarus registered 90.65% of the population voting.
The West did not recognize the elections as democratic, due to
violations in counting votes and use of force against protests. 600
people protesting against the election results, including 6 candidates
for president, were detained.
