His opponents sidelined, Lukashenko is set for a ground 7 in Belarus

When Aleksandr G. Lukashenko The first short for the president of Belarus, the orep reggiddon led in 1994, he made an unusual phenomenon that we really tried to win. His eventual victory in that election, in 2020, widely considered a fraudit was met with Nationwide protests, a subsequent ugly crackbown supported by Russia and then Western penalties.

This time, in a presidential seat election for Sunday, Mr. Sign of Lukashokko – his seventh in a row – is likely to be more lando. He allowed four other approved candidates to run, but they only competed in the shower for him. Candidates who might pose a threat to their rule were either charmed or forced into exile. He does not control the media and all the levers of power in his country.

“There is no genuine choice – all we have is a faricical facade of candidates who all come from pro-government parties,” said Art Analysis of Uderial politics from Belorussia.

“It’s like in Russia now: there are no candidates who can represent an alternative view,” he said.

Mr. Lukashenko is so confident of winning another term that he has torn campaigning, saying that he was too busy with tasks like testing a new anx new Belarusians. State media on Thursday show him the wood.

Two defeces after the United States declared Belarus in the heart of Europe, “Mr. Action of Europe”, “

His continued rule will do little to change the dynamics of a region disrupted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Belorussiava had been the attachment of the string for Mr. Lukashenko remains a thin burning vladimir v. Putin of Russia.

But Mr. Lukashenko has also shown signs of reaching the West from the issue to wave of presidential pardons For people cleared during the protests of 2020, apparently in a bid to reduce the sanctions that have punished their country for years.

None of the leaders of the opposition in 2020 was released, however, and Mr.U Lukashenko caught a large number of the sícultizadores of the opposition.

So it is not clear where Mromedicà test the maneuver east and west, a game He played without full in the past, parartimo Belarus.

Mr. Lukashenko remains an important life of Russia; He just said that Belarus has Russian nuclear weapons on its soil and hosts what Moscow called its new hypersonic ballistic missile it is implemented. Ma He also does not want to be drawn into the war in Ukraine and backed away against requests from Russia to send troops.

A relaxation of Western sanctions would affect the economy. Belarus has been hit by sanctions, in particular, those against potash, a ferresizer ingredient that is one of the pillars of the economy.

But so far, there is no indication from Washington or Brussels that the strategy of freeing some prisoners is working. Some analysts say that it will really be watched for the response of the buildings.

“If the regime sees that the public has a more or less neutral position on the election, maybe it will decide to release some high-profile prisons:” Mrs. Glod said. “If not, maybe they will stop altogether.”

None of Mr. Lokamenko’s opponents in the election have even claimed that the result is a question.

The packaging a TV debate with three candidates (Mr. Lukashenko did not participate), the communist gate of SERGEI SYRUCKOV he said Monday that he wanted to be “honest”, and that the very point of the vote was to see who was second. “Everyone in this studio knows that Aleksandr Lukashenko is going to win,” he said.

The east of the electoral landscape this year is different from the political awakening that took place in 2020, when hundreds of thousands of people hoped for the candidates for the deaf against the SM. Lukashenko.

An agent of a collective farm in eridian uses, Mr. Lucidesic, a relative contest, the gate of antipresity and gives a voice to the ordinary people.

Six elections since have been widely dismissed as shams that disguised discontent. Before action in 2020, even those beginning to wonder if it might be time for a change when the lord when the Lord

He raised the two presidential candidates in 2020 – Viktor Babari and SterGii Tikhanovsky. Mr. Tikhanovsky’s wife, Sampetlana Tikhanovskaya, a political official, emerging as an accidental leader of the opposition.

Mrs. Tikhanovskaya galvanized opponents to Mr. Lukashenko with a highly popular campaign. But the participation of the party of the President Orchesto to the fraud they documented on the night of the election, which led to months of protests.

Mr. Lukashenko eventually threw thousands of opposition supporters in prison. All independent media outlets were closed, their editors and journalists were exiled or exiled. The opposition figures who did not show up were imprisoned.

Five years later, those Leaders of the opposition in exile are unhappy with the Belarusians to ignore the election or to vote for “none of the above”.

“We call on the Belarusians to show their opposition to the regime in any form: reject the regime, ignore for no one the way of protest”, it is not even a way of protest”, says” The one who is based in Lithuania, said in email comments.

“This is a farce, not an election,” he said. “There is no room and there cannot be any room for transparency, fair procedures or candidacy candidates.”

As in previous elections, Mr. lukashenko presented to me that he would just create chaos and leave. He he said Recently that he “did not look to power” and that he would “do my best” to hand power to a new generation.

But he didn’t indicate that he was gone anytime soon, and sent the message that he is ready to crack again if necessary.

Recent Belarusian TV broadcast Picture of the scantily clad Riot Police in Full Shall Tackling Fucks making trouble outside a polling station.

Mr. Lukashenko has too forbidden Rematic voting, unfortunate hundreds of thousands of Belarusians abroad.

Kiryl Kalbasnikau, 33, a theater technician who fled the country in 2021, Sneke for London that “could go to ‘No part of the above’. If he could.

Like many exiles for Belarus, Mr. Kalbasnikau, who until recently belonged to the banned FREE TEAM Belorussianonce thought the regime was on its last legs. Now, he said: he could drink to 10 years more than Regola from Mr. Lukashenko – and his own exile.

“It would be a miracle to see my mother and I miss her so much,” said Mr. Kalbasnikau, who has not seen her for almost four years.

Many Bializani say that the pardons Mr. LUKASHENKO was issued are at least a bright spot.

But Ms. Tikhanovskaya, her husband in bielaro for more than four years, does not trust her June of Mr. Lukashenko.

“Repressions are likely after 26 January 26: Lukashenko can not stay in power that contains people in fear,” he said, denying the losses.

Andrew higgins Contributed reporting.