Ballot Stuffing in Belarus
Photograph of a polling station in Minsk. Photo courtesy of the Associated Press.
On 17 Nov. Belarus held Parliamentary elections, in which the opposition won mo seats. The election has been widely discredited by the international community, as it did not adhere to democratic standards.
Belarusian law mandated that the election take place before September 2020, but President Alexander Lukashenko announced that it would take place in November.
According to Reuters, not a single opposition candidate won a seat in the Parliament. In 2016, two opposition candidates won seats for the first time in the nation's history. However, those candidates were not permitted to stand again.
After the election results were announced, Mr Lukashenko announced he would seek a sixth term as President, due to his perceived popular support in Parliament and amongst the people, as reported by Radio Free Europe.
Official documentation has pegged electoral turnout at 77 per cent. However, those numbers in question by many members of the international community and independent observers (in particular those from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the European Council).
Mr Lukashenko had governed the Republic of Belarus since 1994 when the position of President was established. Before that, he served a prominent role in the Soviet Communist Party and the Belarusian-Soviet state.
According to the Associated Press, there are numerous reports of blatant ballot stuffing at polling station by independent observers. The voting process in Belarus has been criticised numerous times by powers such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union.
The United Kingdom Foreign Office released a statement saying that the election "...did not meet international democratic standards...' and that the government was concerned that "fundamental democratic rights were curbed."
The European External Action Service (the European Union's equivalent to a foreign or defence ministry) said that the election was, "Nevertheless, it was a lost opportunity to conduct elections fully in line with international standards". The Service also stated, "there was an overall disregard for fundamental freedoms of assembly, association and expression".
The American State Department concluded that "fundamental freedoms were disregarded and the integrity of the election process was not adequately safeguarded".
According to Radio Free Europe, Mr Lukashenko responded to criticism by stating, "if society doesn't like how the president organises this [election], they can choose a new one next year...I won't cling on with my cold, dead hands".
Belarus will find out next year, whether Mr Lukashenko will serve a sixth term as President. However, the result of that election is hardly in doubt.
Sources:
Makhovsky, Andrei. "Opposition wins no seats in Belarus election, Lukashenko vows to stay put". Reuters, Thomas Reuters Group, 18 Nov. 2019,
"As Belarus Elects New Parliament, Lukashenka Says He Will Seek Another Presidential Term". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, United States Information Agency, 17 Nov. 2019,
https://www.rferl.org/a/belarus-parliament-elections-lukashenka-russia-us-china-eu/30276098.html
Karmanau, Yuras. "Belarus holds vote, ignores blatant ballot box stuffing". AP News, Associated Press, 15 Nov. 2019,
https://apnews.com/503202ee19a540f5aed98897fd6507dc
Foreign & Commonwealth Office. "Belarus parliamentary elections 2019: Foreign Office statement". United Kingdom Foreign & Commonwealth Office, 20 Nov. 2019,
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/foreign-office-statement-on-belarus-parliamentary-elections
European External Action Service. "Statement by the Spokesperson on the parliamentary elections in Belarus". European Union External Action Service, 18 Nov. 2019,
State Department. "Belarus Parliamentary Elections: Press Statement". United States Department of State, 20 Nov. 2019,