President Aleksandr G. Lukashenko secured his seventh term in Belarus amidst allegations of election fraud and repression of opposition. His victory, claimed to be 87.6%, has been widely dismissed by his exiled opponents as a sham aimed at consolidating power. The controlled atmosphere of the contest saw loyal candidates who posed no real challenge. With significant opposition jailed or exiled and state-controlled media broadcasting pro-Lukashenko narratives, the predictable outcome further entrenches his authoritarian rule, designed to reassure both the nation and Russian President Vladimir Putin of stability post-2020 protests.
It is a staged performance by Lukashenko to cling to power at any cost.
With all of Mr. Lukashenko's prominent opponents either in jail or in exile... the result was a foregone conclusion.
Collection
[
|
...
]