Belarus Leader Promotes KGB Veterans in Government Shift

(Bloomberg) -- Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko named the head of the secret police to chair his State Security Council, state-run Belta news service reported Thursday.

Valery Vakulchik replaced former Defense Minister Andrei Ravkov in the post and in his new role can “consolidate around himself” the country’s law enforcement agencies as well as its secret services, Belta reported, citing Lukashenko.

Vakulchik will be replaced at the KGB, as the Belarusian security service is still called, by Ivan Tertel, Belta reported. Tertel served as deputy head of the KGB before he was appointed to be chairman of the State Control Committee, where he oversaw the arrest of opposition presidential contender Viktor Babariko before the Aug. 9 presidential election.

Lukashenko is facing unprecedented opposition after he claimed a landslide victory with 80% of the vote to extend his 26 years rule. The police initially tried to repress mass protests with violence and detentions of about 7,000 people. Daily demonstrations have continued, swelling to tens of thousands of people at rallies in the capital, Minsk, and other cities across the country on weekends.

The authorities have since targeted opposition leaders, declaring the coordination council set up by Lukashenko’s challengers to hold negotiations with the government as unconstitutional and detaining and jailing council members.

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.