Belarus’ Election Commission Approves Limited Candidates for Presidential Elections
The election commission in Belarus announced on Monday that it has permitted only seven politicians loyal to President Alexander Lukashenko to begin the process of collecting signatures in opposition to him for the upcoming presidential elections. Lukashenko, who has been at the helm of Belarus for over three decades, is poised to pursue a seventh term in the elections scheduled for January.
This decision follows the controversial 2020 elections, which saw Lukashenko facing widespread criticism for what many deemed a fraudulent vote. The election results were rejected by both the opposition and Western nations, leading to large-scale protests across the nation. These protests culminated in the arrest of approximately 65,000 individuals, many of whom were opposition activists. Human rights organizations report that Belarus currently holds around 1,300 political prisoners, many of whom are denied proper healthcare and communication with their families while incarcerated.
In a recent development, the election commission registered an initiative group for Lukashenko to prepare for the looming election. Among the seven candidates allowed to gather signatures are Sergei Syrankov from the Communist Party, Oleg Gaidukevich, the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, and Olga Chеmоdanova, a former spokesperson for the Interior Ministry. Each candidate is mandated to collect a minimum of 100,000 signatures by December 6 in order to qualify for the race.
Lukashenko remarked on the situation, stating, “These are alternative candidates, and I believe they just want to safeguard the incumbent.” This comment underscores the perception that the sanctioned candidates may not pose a genuine challenge to his authority.
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In a contrasting move, the election commission denied two opposition politicians the opportunity to register their initiative groups. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, a pivotal figure in the Belarusian opposition currently living in exile, has condemned the upcoming elections as a mere charade. “This is not an election but an imitation of an electoral process held amid terror when alternative candidates and observers aren’t allowed,” Tsikhanouskaya expressed emphatically.
Notably, during the parliamentary and local elections held in February, independent Western observers were notably absent for the first time since Belarus gained independence in 1991, marking a significant regression in electoral transparency.
