Voting underway in Belarusian presidential election, President Alexander Lukashenko set to extend his rule for a seventh term

Voting underway in Belarusian presidential election, President Alexander Lukashenko set to extend his rule for a seventh term

Belarus, January 26, 2025 – Voting is underway in Belarus for the presidential election, where long-time leader Alexander Lukashenko is on track to secure a seventh term in power. He is running unopposed by any serious challengers. Voting began at 8 a.m. local time on Sunday, marking the first presidential election since the widespread protests against his government in 2020. During that time, Lukashenko had allowed Russia to use Belarusian territory for its invasion of Ukraine.

At 70 years old, this is Lukashenko's opportunity for a seventh term in office, with no significant opposition candidates. The 2020 election had sparked protests across the country, with accusations of electoral fraud and the imposition of international sanctions. In response, his government carried out a sweeping crackdown, leaving thousands imprisoned, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski, and over a hundred political prisoners.

Meanwhile, Lukashenko said on Friday at an event in Minsk, "All our opponents and enemies should understand: do not hope, we will never repeat what happened in 2020."

The candidates running against Lukashenko this time are mostly loyal to him and support his rule. Communist Party candidate Sergei Syrankov, Republican Party candidate Alexander Khizhnyak, and Liberal Democratic Party leader Oleg Gaidukevich have all spoken in favor of Lukashenko. The only exception, Hanna Kanapatskaya, who received 1.7% of the vote in 2020, is being touted as "Lukashenko's only democratic alternative."

Meanwhile, the European Union’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, has called the election a "sham" and stated that "Lukashenko has no legitimacy."