Belarus President Wins 26 Years in Power Election... Protest Rally 'Violently Suppressed'

Aleksandr Lukashenko Wins Belarus Presidential Election by a Landslide
Strong Opposition Candidate Receives Only 6.8% of the Vote

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] Alexander Lukashenko, President of Belarus, succeeded in securing a sixth term on the 9th (local time). Having ruled Belarus for 26 years, President Lukashenko will extend his term by another five years with this victory.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Foreign media reported that President Lukashenko won a landslide victory with 79.7% of the vote according to exit polls. Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who emerged as the main competitor in this election, received only 6.8% of the votes.

Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, a 37-year-old female candidate and former English teacher, ran in place of her husband, Sergei Tikhanovsky, a famous blogger. Her husband was arrested at the end of May on charges including disturbing social order.

After President Lukashenko’s overwhelming victory was confirmed, supporters of opposition candidates took to the streets in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, and other areas to protest. Police responded with tear gas and water cannons to suppress the demonstrations.

Alexander Lukashenko, President of Belarus
[Photo by AP Yonhap News]

According to foreign media, protesters shouted "Victory" and waved Belarusian flags during the demonstrations. There were reports that police escort vehicles struck protesters, but no casualties have been reported. However, local police claim that no casualties occurred during the protests.

President Lukashenko has ruled Belarus since 1994. However, overseas monitoring groups have not judged the elections held in Belarus to have been conducted fairly and freely.

Human rights organizations reported that 1,300 people were arrested in Belarus before the election.

President Lukashenko has been a controversial figure regarding his response to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). He has dismissed COVID-19 as a mental illness and promoted vodka drinking and ice hockey as treatments.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.