Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has secured a seventh term in office, winning 86.82% of the vote in Sunday’s election, according to preliminary results released on Monday by the Central Election Commission.
Lukashenko, 70, who has ruled the former Soviet republic with an iron fist since 1994, faced little opposition in the election. Many of his main rivals are either imprisoned or living in exile.
The European Union (EU) and Belarusian opposition leaders have denounced the election as a farce, citing the lack of independent media and the presence of only token opposition candidates loyal to Lukashenko.
Despite widespread criticism, Lukashenko dismissed the EU’s stance, saying he was unconcerned with whether the bloc recognized the results.
The election marks a grim anniversary of the 2020 unrest, when millions of Belarusians protested against the official results and demanded his resignation. In response, Lukashenko’s government arrested thousands and forced prominent opposition figures, including Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, to flee the country.
