President Aleksandr G. Lukashenko of Belarus, Europe’s longest-serving leader, has declared victory in his seventh consecutive election, a result dismissed as fraudulent by exiled opposition figures. The polls revealed overwhelming support for Lukashenko, but critics argue the election was merely a facade designed to consolidate his authoritarian rule.
Belarus President Lukashenko Claims Victory in Rigged Election
Belarus President Lukashenko Claims Victory in Rigged Election
Aleksandr Lukashenko solidifies his grip on power in a widely disputed election, amid allegations of manipulation and suppression of opposition.
In a continuation of his controversial tenure, Lukashenko claimed to have secured 87.6 percent of the vote in the Sunday election, surpassing the 81 percent he reportedly achieved in 2020. Opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who fled Belarus amid a violent crackdown on protests following the previous election, criticized the event as a "farce," asserting it exists solely to prolong Lukashenko’s dominion over the nation.
Sunday's voting was markedly different from the tumultuous 2020 election, featuring only pro-Lukashenko candidates who posed no genuine challenge to his regime. The exit polls, tightly controlled and manipulated by state media, indicated that four other candidates collectively garnered less than seven percent of the vote, leaving a reassuringly familiar narrative for Lukashenko.
With Belarusian opposition members either imprisoned or sidelined, and with media outlets solidly in the president's corner, the outcome was widely anticipated. Nonetheless, Lukashenko appeared eager to demonstrate that the upheaval of 2020, which posed the most significant challenge to his 29-year authority, has been effectively quelled, reinforcing his alignment with Russian President Vladimir V. Putin.
Sunday's voting was markedly different from the tumultuous 2020 election, featuring only pro-Lukashenko candidates who posed no genuine challenge to his regime. The exit polls, tightly controlled and manipulated by state media, indicated that four other candidates collectively garnered less than seven percent of the vote, leaving a reassuringly familiar narrative for Lukashenko.
With Belarusian opposition members either imprisoned or sidelined, and with media outlets solidly in the president's corner, the outcome was widely anticipated. Nonetheless, Lukashenko appeared eager to demonstrate that the upheaval of 2020, which posed the most significant challenge to his 29-year authority, has been effectively quelled, reinforcing his alignment with Russian President Vladimir V. Putin.
