{"id":124185,"date":"2025-01-30T12:48:13","date_gmt":"2025-01-30T09:48:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/124185\/"},"modified":"2026-04-15T13:35:32","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T13:35:32","slug":"lukasenka-stages-re-election-as-his-dog-steals-the-spotlight","status":"publish","type":"longreads","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/124185\/","title":{"rendered":"\u0141uka\u0161enka stages re-election as his dog steals the spotlight"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Central Election Commission (CEC) announced Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka\u2019s victory with a record 86.82 percent of the vote, while the other candidates received between 1 and 3 percent. \u0141uka\u0161enka did not attempt to surpass Russian President Vladimir Putin, who claimed victory with 87.28 percent in last year\u2019s election.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n\n Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka, accompanied by officials and his pet, the Pomeranian dog Umka, enters the polling station in Minsk on January 26. \n <\/div>\n \n
\n (BelTA (video) \/ Pozirk snapshot)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u0141uka\u0161enka trounces Stalinist and ex-oppositionist<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Each of \u0141uka\u0161enka\u2019s pseudo-rivals was allotted votes with clear intentions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Siarhiej Syranko\u016d, leader of the Communist Party of Belarus and a vocal supporter of \u0141uka\u0161enka, received 3.21 percent. He was followed by Aleh Hajdukievi\u010d of the pro-government Liberal Democratic Party, who garnered 2.02 percent; Hanna Kanapackaja, who posed as an opposition candidate, with 1.86 percent; and Alaksandar Chi\u017eniak, chairman of the Republican Party of Labor and Justice, with 1.74 percent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hajdukievi\u010d, certainly more of a showman than Syranko\u016d, was given a lower percentage by the CEC to remind him not to overestimate his importance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At a press conference after voting at the polling station, \u0141uka\u0161enka commented:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHanna Kanapackaja, one of the presidential candidates, represents opposition in the country. She has been criticizing me non-stop for 15 years. Her persistence has garnered some support in our society, and I am aware of it. This evening, we will see how much support she truly has.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kanapackaja refrained from criticizing the Belarusian strongman during her 2025 campaign. Her former opposition associates suspect she may have struck some sort of deal with the regime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The CEC awarded her a minimal percentage to send the message that Belarusians do not support the opposition. In reality, it\u2019s unlikely that many voted for Kanapackaja, as \u0141uka\u0161enka supporters see her as an opposition nationalist, while pro-democracy activists view her as a government-backed figurehead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0141uka\u0161enka\u2019s record result is seen by opposition sources and observers as a consolation prize for his humiliating loss in 2020 to \u015aviat\u0142ana Cichano\u016dskaja.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0141uka\u0161enka \u201ccouldn\u2019t care less\u201d about EU, but pins hope on Trump<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In contrast to the underdog status he held in the 2020 race, \u0141uka\u0161enka now appears more confident after suppressing mass protests against alleged vote-rigging. After voting on January 26, he answered journalists\u2019 questions for five hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His campaign, including the final news conference, was predictable and boring. Even his dog, Umka, whom \u0141uka\u0161enka brought to the polling station, garnered more media attention than the declared winner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Journalists noted that, according to state propaganda footage, the dog marked its scent at the polling station, with \u0141uka\u0161enka violating the law prohibiting animals in public institutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the news conference, \u0141uka\u0161enka claimed he \u201ccouldn\u2019t care less\u201d about the EU\u2019s refusal to recognize the election results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Responding to criticism from Polish Foreign Minister Rados\u0142aw Sikorski, \u0141uka\u0161enka warned him not to meddle in matters where he \u201cwasn\u2019t invited.\u201d However, he added that Belarus was still open to engaging with both the EU and Warsaw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0141uka\u0161enka appealed to Poland to lift sanctions and cooperate, noting:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe soldier you killed or your people who killed him, Paczobuts, and other issues are trifles that we can always solve.\u201d He was referring to Adrzej Poczobut (Andrej Pa\u010dobut), an imprisoned journalist and Polish minority activist, and the Polish soldier fatally injured by a man who broke through the border fence from Belarus with a group of migrants on May 28.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Belarusian strongman downplayed the migration crisis at the Belarusian-Polish border, claiming it represented only a tiny fraction of the migrants entering the European Union through the Mediterranean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBelieve me, Belarus will never have another president who wants a good relationship with Poland as much as I do,\u201d he stated. \u201cWhat kind of Polish pride are you possessed by? Why do you treat us like this? We have enough land of our own. We don\u2019t need to attack you or go to war.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He further warned Poland against making territorial claims on Western Ukraine, asserting that it would have to \u201cdeal with Belarus and Russia\u201d if it did so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Warsaw has never officially claimed any territorial interests in Ukraine and has supported Kyiv\u2019s fight against Russia\u2019s invasion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regarding relations with the United States, \u0141uka\u0161enka expressed hope for a change in direction under US President Trump, whom he described as \u201ca great artist, an actor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He views Trump as a kindred spirit who could help put Europe \u201cin its place,\u201d expressing hope that Washington would engage with him directly. \u201cI think they are reasonable people, and we will reach an agreement,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fake independent observation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Simulated \u201cindependent\u201d observation was part of the election farce. Minsk invited officials from countries like Azerbaijan and Venezuela\u2014longtime supporters of \u0141uka\u0161enka\u2014as well as international organizations dominated by Russia and China.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

State propaganda labeled Leanid Anfima\u016d, chief of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) monitoring mission, as an independent observer. Anfima\u016d had worked in the Belarusian government under \u0141uka\u0161enka, including as deputy head of his administration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minsk also invited some Western politicians known for their far-right views. For example, state media frequently quoted Eric Weber from Switzerland, who reportedly traveled at Minsk\u2019s expense. Weber claimed that the election was free and criticized the EU, condemning \u201cunjust measures\u201d against Belarus in a reference to sanctions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weber, a far-right politician, had previously been involved in neo-Nazi movements during his youth and was convicted in 2014 for election fraud in Switzerland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Polish observer Krzysztof Talwi\u0144ski is known for his pro-Russian views, while Gyula Th\u00fcrmer, leader of Hungary’s Communist Workers’ Party, is a marginal figure who scored just 0.16 percent in the 2022 parliamentary election.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Steve Samarin, described as a \u201cpolitical scientist and international observer from the United States,\u201d is actually Vladislav Spektorov from Samara, Russia. Once a communications technician in the Soviet Union and later a theologian, he now praises Belarus\u2019s semi-totalitarian regime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minsk invited the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) observers just 10 days before the election, knowing it would prevent the organization from deploying a proper mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0141uka\u0161enka defended this late invitation on January 26, saying:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe invited them. They say we invited them too late, but who said we had to invite them yesterday, not today or tomorrow? They just didn\u2019t want to come.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In reality, officials are well aware of the deadlines for inviting the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). When Minsk is interested in legitimate observation, the invitation is sent well in advance, allowing long-term observers to monitor the election for six weeks before the polling day. The OSCE refused to take part in this farce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0141uka\u0161enka dismisses succession talk<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

At the news conference, \u0141uka\u0161enka was asked if he planned to serve his final term as head of state. He replied:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo. I\u2019m not going to die.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having governed Belarus since 1994, \u0141uka\u0161enka claimed he would step down if he saw \u201cmen who could lead the country.\u201d However, he is most likely to hold on to power until the very end, as he sees no one in his inner circle as trustworthy or skilled enough to replace him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His reluctance to relinquish power could create a power vacuum, which might be exploited by Moscow. However, such a change could prove detrimental to Belarus, should it result in further Russian control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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