Ongoing Presidential Elections in Belarus
Belarus is currently voting in the presidential elections where President Alexander Lukashenko is seeking his seventh term, despite being called the “last dictator of Europe”. Lukashenko has ruled with an iron fist for 30 years, suppressing opposition and dissent. In the previous elections in 2020, there were mass protests, with allegations of fraud in Lukashenko’s victory over the leading candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who was forced to flee.
As his opponents are either jailed or persecuted, Lukashenko is expected to succeed in the current elections. The elections have been moved to winter to deter protests. So far, the voter turnout is at 27.15% after early voting, with a large number of registered voters indicating their participation. Foreign Belarusians can only vote if they return to the country. There are four candidates running, but none have criticized Lukashenko.
Allegations of voter fraud in the past elections led to protests and mass arrests, with over 3,270 convicted and more than 1,200 political prisoners. Despite calls from Tsikhanouskaya to boycott the elections, Lukashenko’s regime is trying to legitimize them. The European Parliament and the USA have condemned the lack of freedom and fairness in the electoral process.
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