Belarus plans to hold a presidential vote, in which incumbent Alexander Lukashenko is likely to secure a seventh straight term, on January 26.
The Central Election Commission (CEC) announced the date in Minsk on Wednesday. Lukashenko, a staunch ally of Russia who has been accused of manipulating previous elections and stamping out political opposition, has tightened his grip on dissent since Moscow launched its invasion of neighbouring Ukraine in February 2022.
The CEC said in a statement on social media that parliament had approved the date of the vote. Lukashenko said earlier this year that he would seek re-election in 2025.
Democratic forces in Belarus, seeking to unseat Lukashenko since he first took power in 1994 following the collapse of the Soviet Union, have previously stated that they will seek non-recognition of the election by the international community.
As in previous votes, the last election in 2020 was marred by reports of widespread fraud. The CEC’s announcement of Lukashenko’s victory that year triggered weeks of mass protests that appeared to put Belarus on the edge of revolution.
However, Lukashenko managed to take a grip of the situation and a vicious crackdown followed, with many thousands arrested or fleeing.
Credit: aljazeera.com
