Belarus is holding presidential elections as Alexander Lukashenko prepares to secure his seventh term without legitimate challengers. After his violent suppression of protests in 2020, which followed accusations of election rigging, dissent has largely been quashed. The opposition has been jailed, and many potential voters have fled the country. Notably, the government eliminated the option to vote from abroad, disenfranchising around 300,000 exiled Belarusians. Observers report general apathy towards the election, with Lukashenko focused on governance rather than campaigning, and he implied that any future dissent would be swiftly suppressed.
Voters began casting their ballots at 8am local time on Sunday in Belarus's first presidential vote since Lukashenko crushed mass protests against his government in 2020.
Lukashenko is seeking a seventh term in a country where a sweeping crackdown has left over 1,000 people imprisoned since protests erupted in 2020.
The United Nations estimates that approximately 300,000 Belarusians have left the country since 2020, mainly for Poland and Lithuania, and cannot vote.
Lukashenko stated, 'All our opponents and enemies should understand: do not hope, we will never repeat what we had in 2020.'
The lead-up to the vote was marked by a lack of enthusiasm, and Lukashenko claimed he was too busy running the country to campaign.
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