Belarus’ authoritarian ruler will face only token challengers in the presidential election

TALLINN, Estonia – The Belarusian Election Commission on Monday admitted seven politicians loyal to President Alexander Lukashenko to collect signatures to run against him in January elections, in an apparent attempt to create some appearance of competition with the longtime authoritarian ruler.

Lukashenko, who has ruled the country for more than 30 years, is seeking a seventh term in office after a brutal crackdown on the opposition and free media.

The election, scheduled for January 26would come four and a half years after the 2020 presidential election, which was rejected by the opposition and the West as fraught with fraud and triggering massive nationwide protests. Belarusian authorities responded to the demonstrations with a sweep crackdown on dissent, resulting in approximately 65,000 people arrested.

Key opposition figures were jailed or fled the country during the crackdown. Human rights activists say Belarus now holds about 1,300 political prisoners and many of them are denied adequate medical care and contact with their families.

Lukashenko has relied on this subsidies and political support of its main ally, Russia, to survive the protests. He allowed Moscow to use Belarusian territory to send troops to Ukraine in February 2022.

Last week, the Central Election Commission of Belarus registered an initiative group for Lukashenko to prepare for the race. On Monday, seven politicians were also allowed to collect signatures to run for office, including the Communist Party’s Sergei Syrankov, Liberal Democratic Party leader Oleg Gaidukevich and former Interior Ministry spokeswoman Olga Chеmоdanova.

“These are alternative candidates, and I believe they only want to protect the incumbent,” Lukashenko said of his would-be symbolic challengers.

Each of the candidates must collect at least 100,000 signatures by December 6 to enter the race.

Last week, the commission refused to register initiative groups for two opposition politicians who had ambitions to enter the race.

“There are candidates, but no competition in these elections,” said Valery Karbalevich, an independent political analyst. “Lukashenko fears a repeat of the 2020 protests, his trauma is still fresh and that is why he will conduct the vote in a format in which the outcome is predetermined.”

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who is in exile after challenging Lukashenko in the 2020 presidential election, denounced January’s vote as a farce and urged Belarusians to vote against all candidates.

“We offer people the opportunity to express their protest by voting against all those who deprive us of our right to vote,” said Tsikhanouskaya, whose husband Siarhei Tsikhanouski is serving a 19.5-year prison sentence after trying to run against Lukashenko. “These are not elections, but an imitation of an electoral process held amid terror, while alternative candidates and observers are not allowed.”

During February parliamentary and local electionsin which only candidates loyal to Lukashenko were allowed to participate, this also applies to Belarus for the first time refused to invite observers of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe to monitor the vote.