Sergei Sidorsky replaced as Belarusian prime minister
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Belarusian Prime Minister Sergei Sidorsky has been sacked by President Alexander Lukashenko after a cabinet reshuffle following last week's disputed Presidential election. His successor is Mikhail Myasnikovich, a former Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus back in the 1990s.
Sidorsky was the Prime Minister of Belarus since July of 2003 when he was appointed by President Lukashenko. He is Belarus' longest serving Prime Minister, having served over seven years. Before that he was Deputy Prime Minister from 2001 to 2002.
This comes a week after the Presidential election which saw the re-election of the incumbent Alexander Lukashenko who has ruled Belarus since the establishment of the office in 1994. Foreign observers called the election, "fraudulent" and "unfair". Following the elections, an estimated 600 people were detained by the government, including 11 Russian nationals.
Sources
- "Lukashenko sack his PM following disputed re-election" — The Associated Press, December 28, 2010
- "Belarus' authoritarian leader appoints new premier" — Washington Post, December 28, 2010
- "Belarus' Lukashenko reshuffles govt, names new PM" — Reuters, December 28, 2010
- "Belarus Gets New Prime Minister Amid Growing Criticism" — Voice of America, December 28, 2010