{"id":118799,"date":"2024-12-18T12:44:43","date_gmt":"2024-12-18T09:44:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/118799\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","slug":"pundit-presidential-race-notable-for-militaristic-rhetoric","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/118799\/","title":{"rendered":"Pundit: presidential race notable for militaristic rhetoric"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

December 18, Pozirk.<\/em><\/strong> The upcoming presidential election in Belarus stands out for its heavy militaristic rhetoric, Pa\u016dluk Byko\u016dski, a Media IQ analyst, said at a conference in Warsaw yesterday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Belarusian authorities typically seek to ensure that elections pass off peacefully, the current campaign by Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka leaves a dual impression. Byko\u016dski explained that the Belarusian ruler simultaneously presents himself as a guarantor of peace while frequently invoking the theme of war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“On one hand, he casts himself as the protector of stability, but on the other, he often speaks about war and frames himself as defending the country from it,” Byko\u016dski remarked during the conference, which focused on propaganda, disinformation and media control in Belarus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike previous electoral cycles, state propaganda this time emphasizes the need to strengthen the military, while special services continue to conduct drills in the lead-up to the election. Byko\u016dski noted that officials had toned down similar militaristic rhetoric ahead of February\u2019s parliamentary and local elections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belarus is set to hold its seventh presidential election from January 21 to 26, with the entire election cycle limited to just three months. The campaign is unfolding in a politically purged landscape, amid an ongoing crackdown on regime critics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Belarusian opposition has dismissed the election as a sham, citing political reprisals that prevent pro-democracy candidates from running and curtail voters\u2019 ability to express their will freely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belarus has not held a single free and fair election by the standards of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe since 1996. The 2020 presidential race, in particular, was marred by allegations of fraud and police brutality against peaceful protesters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with Belarusian authorities offering support to the Kremlin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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