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Lukashenko Secures Seventh Term with 86.82% as Opposition Calls Belarus Election a Farce

Jan 26, 2025, 06:47 PM

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is set to extend his three-decade authoritarian rule into a fourth decade, as exit polls from the January 26, 2025, presidential election show him winning a seventh term with 87.6% of the vote. The exit poll, conducted by the Belarusian Committee of Youth Organizations, indicates an overwhelming victory for Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1994. Preliminary results from the Central Election Commission later announced Lukashenko securing 86.82% of the votes, with the "Against All" option receiving 3.6%. Voter turnout reached 75% before polls closed and ultimately totaled 85.7%, according to the Commission. Lukashenko, often referred to as Europe's last dictator, cast his vote declaring Belarus a "brutal democracy." The election was marked by the absence of genuine opposition candidates, as the opposition has been either jailed or exiled and does not recognize the results. Opposition groups have labeled the election a "farce," and Western governments have denounced it as a sham due to the lack of free and fair conditions. The results are expected to prolong Lukashenko's grip on power until at least 2030.