Alexander Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus since 1994, secured a seventh term in office following an election widely condemned as fraudulent. Official results gave him an overwhelming 87.6% of the vote. Critics have dismissed the election as a sham, pointing out that the opposition candidates included on the ballot were all aligned with Lukashenko. One such candidate, Sergei Syrankov of the Communist Party, publicly voiced his support for the incumbent, stating his campaign was part of the president’s team.

Neither the European Union, the United States, nor the United Kingdom recognizes Lukashenko's government as legitimate. The EU condemned the election as neither free nor fair, with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas describing it as a blatant affront to democracy. Observers highlighted that Belarus has nearly 1,300 political prisoners, and leading opposition figures are either imprisoned or in exile. Nobel laureate Ales Bialiatski remains among those detained. Rights groups, including Reporters Without Borders, have filed complaints against Lukashenko for his severe repression of free speech.

The election, held in January instead of the usual August, appeared to be an attempt to avoid the mass protests seen in 2020. Back then, fraudulent elections led to unprecedented unrest, with over 65,000 arrests and violent crackdowns on dissent. Activists note that the trauma of 2020 has left many Belarusians fearful of taking to the streets again. Opposition leader-in-exile Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya described the election as a meaningless farce, urging voters to reject all candidates on the ballot. She participated in protests from Warsaw, vowing that Belarusians would reclaim their country.

Authorities reported an 81.85% voter turnout, a figure that opposition groups contest due to a lack of independent monitoring. Early voting and other procedural issues, including ballot boxes being left unguarded, have further fueled concerns over vote-rigging. Internet restrictions and blocked VPN access were also reported. At polling stations, curtains were removed from ballot boxes, and photographing ballots was prohibited, measures that activists say were designed to stifle any challenges to the election's legitimacy.

Lukashenko, accompanied by his son Nikolai during the campaign, maintained that he was not clinging to power and would eventually hand over leadership. However, analysts argue that there is no indication of an imminent succession plan. His reliance on Russian support has grown significantly since 2020, particularly after his endorsement of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and hosting Russian tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. While Lukashenko has spoken of potential dialogue with the West, he has consistently emphasized his alignment with Moscow.

Critics warn that Lukashenko’s increasing dependence on Russia has reduced Belarus to a satellite state. His efforts to portray stability and security through the election campaign have been met with skepticism both domestically and internationally. Analysts suggest that despite his claims of openness to the West, his regime remains firmly tethered to the Kremlin’s influence, further isolating Belarus on the global stage.

Sources:

• Politico
• AP