Belarus Strongman Sidesteps Protests With Secret Swearing In
- Germany says ceremony doesn’t convey democratic legitimacy
- Protests take to streets after Lukashenko holds inauguration
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Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko had himself sworn in for his sixth term in a secretive ceremony Wednesday that caught his opponents by surprise and earned him more censure from Europe.
As police cut off most of the city center, the presidential motorcade headed down deserted avenues toward the imposing Palace of Independence where Lukashenko took the presidential oath extending his 26-year rule.