Belarus president Lukashenko to seek seventh term in January vote

Opposition calls for non-recognition of ballot acceptable to widen Lukashenko’s 30-year rule.

Belarus plans to clasp a statesmanlike vote, successful which incumbent Alexander Lukashenko is apt to unafraid a seventh consecutive term, connected January 26.

The Central Election Commission (CEC) announced the day successful Minsk connected Wednesday. Lukashenko, a staunch state of Russia who has been accused of manipulating erstwhile elections and stamping retired governmental opposition, has tightened his grip connected dissent since Moscow launched its penetration of neighbouring Ukraine successful February 2022.

The CEC said successful a connection connected societal media that parliament had approved the day of the vote. Lukashenko said earlier this twelvemonth that helium would question re-election successful 2025.

Democratic forces successful Belarus, seeking to unseat Lukashenko since helium archetypal took power successful 1994 pursuing the illness of the Soviet Union, person antecedently stated that they volition question non-recognition of the predetermination by the planetary community.

Lukashenko, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin speech successful Moscow, Russia, successful April 2023 [AP Photo]

As successful erstwhile votes, the past predetermination successful 2020 was marred by reports of wide fraud. The CEC’s announcement of Lukashenko’s triumph that twelvemonth triggered weeks of wide protests that appeared to enactment Belarus connected the borderline of revolution.

However, Lukashenko managed to instrumentality a grip of the concern and a vicious crackdown followed, with galore thousands arrested oregon fleeing.

Belarus has astir 1,300 governmental prisoners, according to the Viasna quality rights group.

‘Sham’

Among those forced into exile successful 2020 was challenger Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who had earlier claimed to person won with much than 60 percent of the vote.

She was speedy to slam the announcement of the predetermination date, doubting the likelihood of a escaped and just race.

“Lukashenka has announced the day of his ‘reelection’,” Tsikhanouskaya wrote connected societal media, utilizing a antithetic spelling of the president’s name. “It’s a sham with nary existent electoral process, conducted successful an ambiance of terror.”

https://x.com/Tsihanouskaya/status/1848997716862345374

“No alternate candidates oregon observers volition beryllium allowed,” she continued. “We telephone connected Belarusians and the planetary assemblage to cull this farce.”

Having antecedently travel adjacent to sealing a detente with the West amid an evident cooling of relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Lukashenko’s crackdown connected governmental dissent implicit the past decennary oregon much has seen him instrumentality firmly to Moscow’s fold.

In February 2022 helium allowed Russian troops to usage Belarusian territory to motorboat their penetration of Ukraine.

Russia has announced plans to find strategical atomic weapons successful Belarus. Lukashenko precocious reiterated threats that helium volition usage atomic weapons if his state is attacked.

Source

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Al Jazeera and quality agencies