Lukashenko Wins Seventh Term in Belarus Amid Criticism from Western Nations and Tikhanovskaya

Jan 26, 2025, 09:43 AM

Belarus held its presidential election on January 26, 2025, with President Alexander Lukashenko securing a seventh term. The election was widely criticized by Western nations and opposition groups as a sham, lacking genuine competition and legitimacy. Lukashenko, in power since 1994, faced no serious challengers as key opposition figures were either imprisoned or in exile. The European Union, along with several of its member states and the United States, declared the election to be neither free nor fair, citing the suppression of political participation and independent media. Protests against the election were held in Warsaw, Poland, led by opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who denounced the election as a farce. Lukashenko dismissed Western criticism, emphasizing that the recognition of the election by Belarusians was his primary concern.