December 8, Pozirk. A record 2.5 million ballot-access signatures have been collected for Alaksandar Łukašenka’s presidential nomination, his administration’s head Dźmitryj Krutoj announced yesterday at an election rally and concert in Orša, Viciebsk region.
Łukašenka, who has been in power since 1994, allegedly collected the largest number of signatures in every election campaign since 2001.
Belarus will hold its seventh presidential election from January 21 to 26, with the whole election cycle limited to just three months.
Apart from Łukašenka, the bidders include his supporters Aleh Hajdukievič, Alaksandar Chižniak, Siarhiej Syrankoŭ as well as former MP Hanna Kanapackaja. Two days ago, they completed collecting ballot-access signatures. All candidates must garner at least 100,000 voter signatures to qualify for the race.
The current campaign is taking place in a purged political landscape amid a new wave of crackdown on regime critics. The previous 2020 presidential race was marred by police brutality against peaceful protesters.
Belarus has not held a single free and fair election since 1996 by the standards of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
