Preliminary results claim incumbent President Lukashenko wins 80% of votes
Preliminary results claim incumbent President Lukashenko wins 80% of votes

The Central Election Commission of Belarus has announced the preliminary results of the presidential election.

80.23 per cent of voters supported incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko, while 9.9 per cent of voters backed his main rival, opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya.

Voter turnout at Belarus’ presidential polls has reached 84.23 per cent.

The preliminary results that showed a victory for Lukashenko triggered the protest rally in Minsk and other cities of Belarus.

The police used stun grenades to disperse protesters in Minsk. There have been reports of injuries.

47 people were detained during the rally in the Belarusian capital. 119 more people were detained in the regions, said Human rights centre Vesna. However, the Government of Belarus has not released any official figures on the number of detainees.