Belarus Prepares for Presidential Election Widely Seen as Rigged

Alexander Lukashenko seeks a seventh term in a vote criticized as a 'sham' with no real opposition or international oversight.

Alexander Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus for over three decades, is expected to secure a seventh presidential term in an election dismissed by critics as fraudulent.
Opposition candidates from the 2020 election remain in prison or exile, leaving only government-aligned or pseudo-opposition figures on the ballot.
Authorities have implemented strict controls on the voting process, including banning privacy curtains in booths and prohibiting independent observers from monitoring the election.
Belarusians living abroad are effectively excluded from voting, as no polling stations have been set up outside the country.
The 2020 protests against Lukashenko's contested re-election led to a brutal crackdown, with ongoing repression leaving thousands imprisoned or in exile.