Lukashenko Declares Victory in Belarus Presidential Election; International Reactions

With the announcement of Alexander Lukashenko's victory in the Belarus presidential election for the seventh consecutive time, his rule, known as 'the last dictator of Europe,' has entered its thirty-first year. The 70-year-old Lukashenko, one of the closest allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has been in power since 1994, following Belarus's independence from the Soviet Union. Igor Karpenko, head of the Central Election Commission of Belarus, claimed in a press conference early Monday morning that Lukashenko was re-elected with 86.8% of the votes. Karpenko also asserted that over 85% of eligible voters participated in the election, deeming the results valid. Lukashenko faced no serious opposition candidates in this election, and prior to the vote, senior EU officials questioned the legitimacy of the election and Lukashenko's potential victory. His opponents, many of whom are imprisoned or in exile, consider the election 'fraudulent and invalid,' similar to the election five years ago, where his claimed victory of over 80% led to unprecedented protests that engulfed the entire 9 million population of the country for months. These protests were violently suppressed, resulting in over 65,000 arrests and many instances of torture. The crackdown drew widespread international condemnation and led to sanctions from the West. Western countries deemed the recent Belarus election also unfree and unfair, rejecting the results due to the prohibition of free media activities and the suppression of all opposition leaders. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock wrote on X, 'The people of Belarus had no choice. Today is a bitter day for all who seek freedom and democracy.' Polish counterpart Radoslaw Sikorski expressed sarcastic surprise that only 87.6% of voters chose Lukashenko, asking, 'Is there enough room in prisons for the rest?' The Washington-based human rights group 'Freedom House' described Belarus as 'an authoritarian regime where elections are overtly fraudulent and civil liberties are severely restricted.' Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the Belarusian opposition leader residing in Lithuania, wrote on X that protests against the election are taking place in various cities across Europe, adding, 'Belarus wants freedom.' Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, called the election 'staged' and wrote on X, 'My message to the people of Belarus is: Stay strong, we are with you, the time for the end of dictatorship will come.' Kaja Kallas, head of EU foreign policy, criticized Lukashenko for 'clinging to power for 30 years,' stating that he intends to 'reappoint himself in another staged election.' She wrote on X, 'This is a blatant insult to democracy.' However, Lukashenko dismissed the criticisms and ignored the statements from Western leaders. In a press conference held in Minsk on Sunday, he said, 'Recognition or non-recognition of this election is a matter of taste. It does not matter to me. What matters to me is that the people of Belarus accept this election.' When asked about the imprisonment of his opponents, he claimed, 'They have determined their own fate.' The Belarusian leader, in a press conference that lasted over four hours and coincided with the election, told reporters, 'We have not expelled anyone from the country. They chose to go into exile or be imprisoned.' Lukashenko had previously stated that he pays no attention to the West and its criticisms.