Rights defenders: Łukašenka’s contenders invisible as authorities fake competition
January 25, Pozirk. Belarusian authorities imitate competition at the seventh presidential election on January 21-26 amid ongoing reprisals, says a recent report by the Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections.
Alaksandar Łukašenka’s contenders for the presidential office did not position themselves as a real alternative to Belarus’ longtime ruler but rather campaigned for him, rights defenders said, noting that Belarusians may have barely noticed their campaigns in a purged political landscape.
Pro-government candidates Aleh Hajdukievič, Alaksandar Chižniak and Siarhiej Syrankoŭ and former MP Hanna Kanapackaja did not have the same level of access to the state-run media despite the allocation of TV and radio slots guaranteed by electoral legislation, they noted.
The election campaigning was held in unequal conditions as Łukašenka used a vast array of propaganda tools, pro-government associations and state-controlled media to promote himself, according to the report.
“A deliberate vague distinction between the fulfillment of state duties and campaigning allowed Łukašenka to combine official visits, meetings and trips with actual campaigning, taking advantage of the privileges of extensive information coverage at the state expense,” the report reads.
Even the dissemination of election information generally contained hidden support of Łukašenka, it said.
The Belarusian ruler’s decision to raise pensions in the run-up to the election could be interpreted as bribery of voters, it added.
Established in 2008, the Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections includes election monitors from the Viasna Human Rights Center and the Belarusian Helsinki Committee. Belarusian rights defenders are monitoring the 2025 presidential election remotely over security threats for independent observers and ongoing crackdown on civil society.
Belarus has not held a single free and fair election since 1996 by the standards of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. The previous 2020 presidential race was marred by fraud and police brutality against peaceful protesters.
Access to Belarus-based websites restricted ahead of main election day
January 25, Pozirk. Belarusian providers have restricted access to virtual hosting from abroad, making Belarus-based websites unavailable for users outside the country for three days, hoster.by, the largest domain registration service in Belarus, reports. Restrictions have entered into force at …