It is highly criticized choice see ‘brutal democracy’ continue in Belarus

Alexander Lukashenko, president of Belarus. Prachatai/Flickr.com

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has secured a seventh consecutive period in an election condemned internationally as a ‘shame’.

The country’s Central Election Committee (CEC) announced that Lukashenko won 86.8 percent of the vote on January 26, with turnout of 85 percent. Already the longest served president in Europe after 31 years in power, Lukashenko’s re -election will see him remain in office until at least 2030.

After casting his vote, the Belarusian leader gave a four-and-a-half-hour press conference live on state TV. During that, he described Belarus as a ‘brutal democracy’ and disproved criticism that there were no other serious challengers on the ballot. According to CEC, Runner-Up received only three percent of the vote.

The point of view at least outside Belarus was that the vote could not be considered democratic. “I didn’t want to use the word choice,” says Pavel Slunkin, a former Belarusian diplomat, currently residing in the United States. ‘The result does not depend on what people think it does not depend on any campaign, it is just a performance of Lukashenko’s administration.’

This year’s election was made from August to January, allegedly to discourage protesters from going on the streets during the country’s bitter cold winter. But Savva says that in Belarus, as in Russia, the eradication of political opponents has already brought some kind of meaningful dissence. ‘Lukashenko, like (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, is convinced that society is unable to massage without leaders, and will try to isolate all potential leaders,’ he says.

The mass emptying of critical votes combined with the increase in internet censorship and the settlement of independent media, probably also dampened any appetite for demonstrations, says Mark Stephen’s CBE, co -chair of the IBA Human Rights Institute. ‘Of course, when you crack down on human rights defenders, lawyers and journalists, there is no flow of information,’ says Stephens, partner at Howard Kennedy in London. ‘In essence, it means that people in the country are unable to get together, but they also do not know that others are as unhappy and do not understand how bad and widespread the situation is.’

Slunkin, who fled from Belarus in 2021, believes that the climate of fear has made any kind of protest or rebellion impossible. “If I was in Belarus right now, I wouldn’t be able to talk to you,” he says. “If I was there, I wouldn’t attend protests because it doesn’t make sense. The European Union is not saving you. The US is not helping you. The democratic movement of exile cannot help you. The regime dominates and controls all aspects of your family’s life. ‘

Since July, Lukashenko has pardoned 250 political prisoners. Savva warns that these traits should be seen as tactical rather than compassionate. “The children are probably related to Lukashenko’s desire to take a step towards the collective vest and to demonstrate his willingness to compromise,” he says. ‘Lukashenko understands that in the case of Vladimir Putin – with whom he is closely associated – disappears, his prospects of remaining in power are minimal. That’s why he distances himself from Putin. ‘

Per. January 30, there are still 1,245 political prisoners in Belarus, according to local human rights organization Viasna.

While Putin and leaders from China, Pakistan and Venezuela offered their congratulations to Lukashenko, Western countries around have criticized the error in Belarus of fulfilling the international standards free and fair elections. The UN group of independent experts in Belarus emphasized that ‘by not inviting international independent observers, Belarusian authorities failed to hold truly democratic elections.’

The United Kingdom and Canada responded to the election by conducting coordinated sanctions against six Belarusian officials and three defense companies. In a statement, Kaja Kallas, the EU’s high representative of foreign affairs and security policy, decided the election as a ‘shame’. Prior to the vote, the European Parliament adopted a decision that called on the EU Member States to continue to investigate human rights violations in Belarus and to impose on Lukashenko’s administration.

Without subsequent action from the EU, it can be debated whether statements will make any difference to the Belarusian leader, says Stephens. ‘Lukashenko uses all tools in the authoritarian Playbook and now seems to have developed a position where he is impenetrable for external criticism and accountability,’ he says.

Slunkin believes the EU can still have an important role to play. In 2023, Lukashenko signed a presidential decree that ordered all Belarusian consulates to stop renewing or expanding passports to Belarusians abroad. Instead, all their citizens would be obliged to return to Belarus to renew any documentation.

The move was a clear signal that the regime is not only prepared to ‘damage and harm Belarusers inside Belarus, but also those who live in exile,’ says Slunkin. “Many people have lost their homes and can’t get documents. They risk traveling to other states where they could be deported, or they think that if they go back to Belarus, nothing will happen, but then they will be thrown into prison. I think European bureaucracies can solve this and provide some sort of protection to these hundreds of thousands of exile Belarusians. ‘

A spokesman for Europe -Commission told Global insight That the decree is ‘another example of continuous repression of Lukashenko’s regime’. Although the responsibility for issuing travel documents is at the land level, the Commission says it has called on all Member States to find a legal solution (…) to facilitate the legal entry and residence of Belarusian citizens in the EU. ‘