OTTAWA, August 22. /TASS/: The Canadian government is considering all options to support the Belarusian people in their determination to hold new presidential elections, Canadian Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne wrote on Twitter on Friday.
"We are considering all options to support the people of Belarus in their call for free and fair elections," he said.
Champagne noted Canada's determination to "bring to account those who undermined democratic principles in Belarus" and expressed support for the OSCE's proposals to facilitate dialogue in this country between the government and the opposition.
The Canadian Foreign Minister also said that for the second time this week he had a telephone conversation with the former candidate for the presidency of Belarus Svetlana Tikhanovskaya.
On August 9, Belarus held its sixth presidential election since declaring independence in 1991. According to the final results of Sunday’s voting, the incumbent president, Alexander Lukashenko, won 80.10% of the vote. His closest rival, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, scored 10.12% of votes.
Mass protests and clashes with police took place in Minsk and other Belarusian cities after exit poll results were made public. As a result, some 6,000 people were detained, dozens of law enforcers and demonstrators were injured during the first days of protests. Rallies have continued for more than a week. Tikhanovskaya left Belarus in the small hours on August 11 and is now staying in Lithuania.
