BRUSSELS – The European Union said Thursday that the swearing in of Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko to a sixth term during a secretive ceremony lacks democratic legitimacy, defies the will of the Belarusian people and will only deepen the country’s political crisis.EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell reiterated that the 27-nation bloc did not recognize the result of the Aug.
9 election that kept Lukashenko in power after 26 years and said that “on this basis, the so-called ‘inauguration’...and the new mandate claimed by (him) lack any democratic legitimacy.”Thousands of Belarus citizens have taken part in more than six weeks of rallies against the authoritarian leader’s reelection, which the opposition says was rigged.“This.