Opposition leader: today’s election is mockery

January 26, Pozirk. Today’s election in Belarus is a mockery of the electoral procedures and the very idea of elections, Belarusian opposition leader Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja had told participants in a rally in Warsaw that brought together exiled Belarusians.
Alaksandar Łukašenka, in power since 1994, will remain in history as “a traitor and a criminal, not a guardian of independence, no matter how much he wants that and no matter how many times he re-elects himself,” she stressed.
Earlier today, the politician described the ongoing presidential election in Belarus as a “farce and imitation,” noting that Belarusians risk being thrown behind bars every day for political reasons, such as wearing the wrong color of socks, speaking Belarusian and opposing war.
Łukašenka will not be able to force Belarusians to see him as a leader and accept the official result of the seventh presidential election, she said.
The politician pledged to keep up the struggle for democracy, ensuring accountability for Łukašenka and his officials and protecting the rights of ordinary Belarusians.
Noting the dangerous character of the Belarusian state-sponsored propaganda, Cichanoŭskaja promised to negotiate assistance to independent media outlets with the European Union amid the United States’ freeze on foreign aid.
Belarus is holding its seventh presidential election from January 21 to 26, with the whole election cycle limited to just three months. The current campaign is taking place in a purged political landscape amid a new crackdown on regime critics.
The five presidential bidders are Alaksandar Łukašenka, his supporters Aleh Hajdukievič, Alaksandar Chižniak, Siarhiej Syrankoŭ as well as former MP Hanna Kanapackaja.
The Belarusian opposition dismissed the election as a sham, noting that political reprisals prevent pro-democracy candidates from running and voters from freely expressing their will.
The country has not held a single free and fair election since 1996 by the standards of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Rights defenders: Łukašenka’s contenders invisible as authorities fake competition
- Economy, SocietyEight district heads personally accountable for trade service quality – edictThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy, SocietyRussia returns improperly documented blueberries, boxes and seeds to BelarusThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyŁukašenka amends road traffic regulationsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, Security
- Politics, SocietyAt least 1,948 NGOs dissolved since August 2020 – LawtrendThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics
- Politics, SecurityDrone crash prompts evacuation in southern BelarusThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy
- Politics
- EconomyRyžankoŭ discusses agricultural ties with Indonesian foreign ministerThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyGovernment propaganda guidebook emphasizes Belarusians’ tolerance to disguise repressionThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyBelarus reports a rise in foreign exchange reservesThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Elections, Politics
- PoliticsPolitical reprisals: dissident doctor faces extremism-related chargesThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy
- EconomyOver 190 people charged with price gouging in H1, fines exceeded 250,000 rubelsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyInvestigative Committee incinerates 350 kg of heroinThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SocietyAnother Nazi collaborator’s genocide case goes to Supreme CourtThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, Society
- PoliticsViasna: despite pardons number of political prisoners remains critically highThe material is available only to POZIRK+