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1999, July |
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Authoritarian president Lukashenko canceled planned elections that would have challenged his regime; he cited a 1996 amendment to the constitution that he claimed extended his term into 2001. Governmental turmoil ensued in Belarus, and Lukashenko soon disbanded the Parliament. | 1 |
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July 20 |
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Semyon Sharetsky was chosen as acting Belarusan president by a group of 35 members of the disbanded Parliament. This secret referendum came in light of Pres. Lukashenko's cancellation of elections earlier in the year. Still claiming his position as head executive, Sharetsky fled the country for safety. | 2 |
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Oct.Dec |
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Demonstrators in Minsk protested the mysterious disappearances of opposition leaders and the proposed reunification with Russia. On Dec. 8 Pres. Lukashenko signed an agreement in Moscow that further connected Belarus with Russia, economically and militarily. | 3 |
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