Belarus held an election over the weekend that many saw as a farce, with opposition and the EU rejecting it. The result was a staggering 87% for President Alexander Lukashenko, extending his authoritarian rule for decades.
The vote came after months of unrest triggered by the 2020 election, which also faced criticism. Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1994, relies heavily on support from Russian President Vladimir Putin and has used this to suppress dissent.
Lukashenko allowed Russia to use Belarus’s territory in Ukraine earlier this year and hosted some of Russia’s nuclear weapons. The EU described the election as illegitimate and threatened new sanctions.
International figures like Secretary of State Rex Tillerson praised the release of a U.S. prisoner, though the overall atmosphere remains tense. Over 65,000 people were arrested or beaten since the start of the crackdown, with thousands detained indefinitely.
The EU and Germany have condemned the regime, calling it a “farce” that leaves voters amid fear for their safety. Some observers believe Lukashenko fears mass protests amid economic struggles and Ukraine’s fighting, so he delayed the vote until January when fewer people would protest.
Opposition leaders have fled Belarus or been imprisoned. Activists report nearly 1,300 political prisoners, including Nobel laureate Ales Bialiatski. The government has pardoned more than 250 since July but targets dissent by arresting hundreds in raids against relatives and friends of prisoners.
In a rare move, opposition leader-in-exile Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya called the election a “senseless farce” and urged voters to disregard the ballot list. The situation remains volatile as Belarus teeters on international sanctions and domestic instability.
Source: https://www.foxnews.com/world/belarus-president-lukashenko-extends-rule-after-election-rejected-opposition-eu