Seventh term for those in power
Lukashenko: I don’t care about recognition from the West
Alexander Lukashenko has ruled Belarus for more than 30 years and wants to extend his power. He claims that his opponents chose prison themselves.
According to the authoritarian ruler Alexander Lukashenko, Belarus is not making its presidential election dependent on approval from abroad. The election is taking place for his own people, said Lukashenko while casting his vote in the capital Minsk. He doesn’t care at all whether the EU recognizes the election or not. The 70-year-old wants to secure another, now seventh, term in office after more than 30 years in power in the former Soviet republic.
After the last election in 2020, mass demonstrations almost drove him from power. However, he suppressed the protests with violence and has been overseeing a kind of political graveyard calm in Belarus ever since. According to estimates by human rights activists, around 1,200 Lukashenko opponents are still in prison. “Some chose prison, others chose exile, but we didn’t drive anyone out of the country,” he claimed in Minsk.
Opposition candidates were not allowed in Belarus. As a matter of form, there are four candidates against Lukashenko. The polling stations are open until 8:00 p.m. local time (6:00 p.m. CET). After that, a victory for Lukashenko is expected to be announced.
Announcement of the vote
dpa
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
