Belarus is set to hold a presidential election on 26 January with five registered candidates, including incumbent Alexander Lukashenko. The OSCE was not invited to observe the vote, calling it a blow to transparency, while the CIS mission reported a calm electoral process.
Five candidates’ names are registered for a presidential election in Belarus on Sunday, with the incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko in the list.
Among other four candidates there are Chairman of the Republican Party of Labor and Justice Alexander Khizhnyak, Chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party of Belarus Oleg Gaidukevich, entrepreneur Anna Kanopatskaya, and First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Belarus Sergei Syrankov.
In power since 1994, the 70-year-old Alexander Lukashenko positioned himself as a leader who would take care to “build enterprises and provide people with not just jobs, but make them more happy about their salaries” instead of engaging in an election campaign. "To be honest I don't follow it. I simply don't have time for it," he told factory workers last week.
The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) said in the joint statement that OSCE participating States were not invited to observe the country’s presidential election.
“This decision is deeply regrettable. The lack of co-operation from Belarus diminishes the spirit of trust that underpins the OSCE even more and the lack of transparency further undermines faith in the electoral system of Belarus,” - said OSCE PA President Pia Kauma.
The statement noted this is the third time since the August 2020 presidential elections that ODIHR has been unable to observe elections in Belarus due to the lack of a timely invitation.
Parliamentary Assembly ’s General Rapporteur for a Democratic Belarus, Ryszard Petru warns “the so-called presidential elections arranged in Belarus for 26 January 2025 are set to be a sham that, again, deny the right of the Belarusian people to participate in free and fair elections.”
“The widespread repression by the Lukashenka regime that led to the arbitrary detention of tens of thousands of peaceful protesters after the fraudulent elections of 2020 has only continued to this day in blatant disregard of international law and democratic norms,” he stated and noted that “over 1,200 political prisoners remain in detention, opposition political parties and trade unions have been liquidated and their leaders persecuted, and up to 500,000 Belarusians now live in exile.”
At the same time, the CIS observation mission to the presidential election has issued an interim report saying that the rally is conducting in “calm manner and in strict compliance with the electoral legislation, and candidates have been provided with generally equal conditions for campaigning and the right to speak in the media.”
“The efforts that the country created give us a confidence that elections will be held in a smooth and calm manner, with no provocations in the voting process,” Sergei Lebedev, Head of CIS observation mission said as BelTA reported.
CIS delegation consists of 290 observers from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly, the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union State of Belarus and Russia, the Union State Standing Committee, and the CIS Executive Committee.
Donald Trump said he is “in no hurry” to reach a deal with Iran, insisting the U.S. is slowly getting what it wants. He warned military action rem...
Malta’s Prime Minister Robert Abela has secured a fourth successive election victory for his Labour Party, extending its hold on power, though with ...
Nicaraguan indigenous leader and former lawmaker Brooklyn Rivera has died in state custody at the age of 73, according to local media reports citing h...
At least 46 people, including six children, have been killed in a powerful explosion at a building used to store mining explosives in northeastern Mya...
Thousands of residents blocked Austria’s Brenner motorway on Saturday (30 May), shutting down a major north-south transport route through the Alps i...
Kyrgyzstan has signed a series of cooperation agreements with China and Belarus at the Fifth Forum of Regional Leaders of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states, underlining the country's growing economic engagement within the regional bloc.
Latvia is strengthening its anti-drone capabilities along its borders with Russia and Moscow-allied Belarus after several drones entered the NATO member’s airspace, according to a senior military official.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has said Belarus will not be dragged into the war in Ukraine, while also stressing that Minsk and Moscow would jointly respond to any aggression against them.
Russia delivered nuclear munitions to field storage facilities in Belarus as part of major nuclear drills, the Russian Defence Ministry said on Thursday.
U.S. rapper Kanye West, now known as Ye, performed to a crowd of 118,000 people in Istanbul on Saturday night, marking his first concert in Europe in more than a decade, despite being barred from performing in several countries over past antisemitic remarks.
Iranian-made Yassin missiles were spotted mounted on Armenian Air Force fighter aircraft during Armenia's latest military parade on Thursday (28 May), drawing attention from defence observers and regional analysts.
The Philippines remains under a "severe threat" from China despite recent efforts by Washington and Beijing to ease tensions, Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said on Saturday (30 May).
Thai rescuers say five people have been pulled alive from a flooded cave in remote Laos, where seven villagers became trapped after heavy rain cut off access underground.
Russia has recalled its ambassador to Armenia for consultations, citing Yerevan's growing rapprochement with the European Union. The move is seen as the latest sign of deteriorating relations between the longtime allies ahead of Armenia's parliamentary election on 7 June.
Malta’s Prime Minister Robert Abela has secured a fourth successive election victory for his Labour Party, extending its hold on power, though with a reduced majority compared with previous polls.
Nicaraguan indigenous leader and former lawmaker Brooklyn Rivera has died in state custody at the age of 73, according to local media reports citing his family.
At least 46 people, including six children, have been killed in a powerful explosion at a building used to store mining explosives in northeastern Myanmar, according to local media reports.
South Africa's preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup have suffered an unexpected setback after the national team failed to depart for Mexico as scheduled on Sunday (31 May) because some players and officials had not yet received their visas.
Five people have died after a mine shaft collapsed during an illegal mining operation in southwestern China, state media reported on Sunday (31 May), just days after the country's deadliest mining disaster in more than a decade claimed at least 82 lives.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment