The parliamentary and local elections in Belarus on Sunday are expected to solidify the authoritarian leader's grip on power, despite a prominent opposition leader urging a boycott.
President Alexander Lukashenko has governed Belarus with a firm grip for almost thirty years and recently declared his intention to seek re-election next year. He claims that the West is attempting to manipulate the vote to weaken his administration and create unrest in the country with a population of 9.5 million, as per AP News.
Lukashenko Defends Election
After parliamentary and local council elections, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko told the media that foreign criticism of the elections was unjustified. In power since 1994, Lukashenko forcefully stated his decision to participate in the 2018 presidential election, denying exiled opposition claims and said no respectable leader would forsake their people.
The 69-year-old leader, a key ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, downplayed concerns about the legitimacy of the elections, stating that changes could occur in the year leading up to the presidential vote. Lukashenko, who allowed the Kremlin to use Belarusian territory for the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, indicated that societal reactions and election preparations would be influenced by evolving circumstances.
The US State Department criticized the elections as held in an environment of fear that prevented democracy. Belarus' Central Election Commission head, Igor Karpenko, said the US should not comment on Belarusian elections. Karpenko stressed Belarus' electoral sovereignty.
Officials reported a voter turnout of just below 73% by mid-evening, although Lukashenko's opponents in exile called for a boycott. Lukashenko, whose re-election in 2020 triggered widespread protests, stated that the role of the parliament in Belarus would be strengthened, emphasizing that the president's position is not akin to that of a ruler or deity.
In recent times, Lukashenko has orchestrated a severe crackdown on dissent, with hundreds of opponents jailed and thousands forced into exile. The absence of genuine opposition candidates in the current elections has prompted Lukashenko's exiled rivals to advocate for a voter boycott, according to Reuters.
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US Denounces 'Sham' Elections Amid Raids
Lukashenko's caution about potential uprisings during the election comes after a string of operations conducted by Belarus's KGB security service focusing on the relatives of political detainees. As per the latest information from human rights group Viasna, there are currently 1,419 political detainees in Belarusian jails.
Exiled opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who fled to Lithuania in 2020, dismissed the elections in a video statement, asserting that the regime's attempt to legitimize its power through the polls would not succeed.
The United States joined in denouncing the vote as "sham parliamentary elections," highlighting the impossibility of holding free and fair elections in a climate of fear and with over 1,400 political prisoners. The US expressed support for the democratic aspirations of the Belarusian people.
Lukashenko's announcement of his intention to run for president again comes amid his country's increased isolation since allowing Russia to use Belarusian territory for its offensive in Ukraine two years ago. Belarus shares borders with three NATO members, in addition to Ukraine and Russia. The president's health was previously a subject of speculation after he was hospitalized in Moscow in May, raising questions about the future leadership of the politically and economically intertwined Belarus, Daily Mail reported.
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