Lukashenko on Track for Seventh Term Amid Controversy in Belarus Election
Alexander Lukashenko appears poised to secure a seventh five-year term as the president of Belarus, with exit polls suggesting he garnered 87% of the votes in the recent election. This election marks yet another chapter in Lukashenko's long-standing rule, which has persisted since 1994, making him one of Europe’s longest-serving leaders and a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
As reported by state television, the electoral commission indicated a voter turnout of 81.5% among the 6.9 million eligible voters. However, the legitimacy of the election is clouded by the U.S. and EU's assertions that it cannot be deemed free or fair. Independent media outlets are banned in Belarus, and most prominent opposition figures remain either jailed or in exile, leading to widespread skepticism about the electoral process.
Lukashenko's government has a history of suppressing dissent, particularly highlighted by the mass protests that erupted in 2020 against his rule. The brutal crackdown on these protests saw thousands jailed, with the opposition claiming that the last presidential vote was rigged. Today, the political landscape remains stark, as any criticism of the regime is strictly forbidden.
During a recent public address in Minsk, Lukashenko warned his adversaries not to hope for a repeat of the unrest experienced in 2020, as he conveyed his hold on power in a carefully staged ceremony. The political environment is such that even casual affirmations of support for the president come from citizens too fearful to disclose their identities. A farmer from a small village, Alexei, shared his approval for Lukashenko, citing improvements since he took office, while expressing concerns about the ongoing conflict in neighboring Ukraine.
The portrayal of Lukashenko as a stabilizing force is part of the government’s narrative, which emphasizes that his leadership has brought peace and order. However, this claim is contested by many, including the exiled opposition leader, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who unequivocally labeled the election a farce. She also pointed to the plight of her husband, Sergei Tikhanovsky, who has been imprisoned incommunicado for nearly a year.
According to United Nations estimates, around 300,000 Belarusians have fled the country since the unrest in 2020, primarily seeking refuge in Poland and Lithuania. Due to the removal of voting from abroad, these citizens were denied the opportunity to participate in the election.
Despite once maintaining a balance between the EU and Russia, Lukashenko has increasingly leaned on Moscow for political and economic support since 2020. Kaja Kallas, the EU's foreign policy chief, referred to the latest election as a sham, asserting that Lukashenko lacks legitimacy.
Known as 'Europe's last dictator,' a title he has come to embrace, Lukashenko has maintained many of the Soviet Union's traditions within Belarus, particularly in terms of its state-planned economy. His government dismantled Belarus's traditional white-red-white flag in the 1990s, a symbol that has since come to represent the opposition and their fight for democracy in the country.
As the political landscape in Belarus remains turbulent, many are left to ponder what lies ahead for both the nation and its leadership under Lukashenko's enduring rule.
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