Lukashenko offers a referendum on the constitution

Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko said yesterday he was ready to hold new elections and hand over power after a referendum on changing the constitution in an apparent attempt to respond to the biggest challenge to his 26-year rule, while the United States said it believed the mass protests clearly show that calls for democracy "can no longer be ignored".

Reuters points out that Lukashenko made the offer, which he insists he will not implement while under pressure from the demonstrations, after opposition politician Svetlana Tikhanovskaya said she was ready to become the country's leader.

In a video conference in Lithuania, Tihanovskaya called on members of the security forces to switch sides. "I am ready to take responsibility and act as a national leader during this period," she said.

In a clear indication of growing vulnerability, Lukashenko was booed with cries to resign during an address to workers at one of the large state-owned factories that are the pride of his Soviet economic model and the main base of support.

The Guardian reports that Lukashenko was visibly shaken when employees at a military vehicle factory began shouting "liars" and "resign" during a visit that was supposed to serve as a demonstration of the support he enjoys among workers.

"We had elections," Lukashenko said. "Until you kill me there will be no new elections". However, he offered to amend the constitution, in an apparent concession that is unlikely to satisfy protesters who claim he has said so before.

"We will organize a referendum on the changes and I will hand over the constitutional powers. But not under pressure or because of the street," Lukashenko said, as reported by the Belarusian agency Belta.

"Yes, I'm not a saint. You know my bad sides. I am not eternal," he said and added that citizens can support the parliamentary and presidential elections after the referendum if they want to.

“Thank you, I said everything I had. You can continue to shout "resignation", Lukashenko said.

Portal Tut. By published a video of Lukashenko confronting a worker, saying "they won't fight", but then added "if someone here provokes something, then we will deal with it the hard way." Therefore stand up".

Security forces clashed with protesters in Minsk and other cities after Lukashenko declared a landslide victory in an election his opponents claim was rigged.

Last week, workers in state-owned factories showed solidarity with protesters, and employees of state-run television also walked off the job yesterday in protest over censorship and the election results. Yesterday, as the BBC reports, members of the Philharmonic Orchestra in Minsk joined the protests.

US President Donald Trump said that the "situation is terrible" in Belarus, and a high-ranking official of his administration said that the US is closely monitoring developments in that country.

"The huge number of Belarusians peacefully protesting clearly shows that the government can no longer ignore their calls for democracy," said the official, who wished to remain anonymous. "President Lukashenko's statements today show that he is aware of this, although he did not address the lack of free and fair elections."

"Russia must also respect the sovereignty of Belarus and the right of its people to freely and fairly choose their leaders," the official said.

European Union leaders expressed their solidarity with protesters in Belarus during an emergency video conference yesterday, while Britain condemned the violence used "during the crackdown on peaceful protests that followed the unfair presidential election".

The European Union also plans to send a message to Russia not to interfere in the situation in Belarus, after Moscow told Lukashenko that it is ready to provide military assistance in the event of an external threat.

In Belarus, there are gas pipelines through which Russia exports energy to the West, and Moscow considers that country a buffer zone according to NATO. Lukashenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke twice over the weekend.

However, "The Guardian" points out that Putin has not offered support or recognition to Lukashenko, and Moscow is probably waiting to see if the Belarusian leader will survive politically in the coming weeks or even days, while protests gather momentum and pressure to resign grows.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said yesterday that the Alliance is on alert regarding the events in Belarus and is ready to protect its allies, but that it does not pose any threat to Minsk.

"NATO allies are following the events in Belarus," he said in a statement.

"NATO does not pose a threat to Belarus and is not amassing forces in the region. We remain vigilant, strictly defensive and ready to deter any aggression against NATO allies," he added.

An empty studio on state television

Yesterday morning, Belarusians watching a news program on state television were greeted by an unusual sight: an empty studio.

The national channel of Belarus has been spewing government propaganda for a quarter of a century, and early last week it described the protesters as dangerous provocateurs who are being paid from abroad to disrupt the magnificent stability brought by Lukashenko.

However, Belarus has changed so quickly in the past week that many feel they can no longer work for the propaganda machine. Yesterday, about 300 of the 2000 employees went on strike, saying they could not return unless the government met five demands, including new elections and an end to censorship.

"People think that if they can honestly engage in journalism, then we won't work," said the author of documentary programs, Ksenija Lutskina.

"The problem for a large number of people is that there is no other television station they can work for - they are all controlled by the state," she said, adding that the television management threatened to fire those who go on strike.