As Belarusians vote in ‘sham’ polls, Lukashenko reveals re-election plan

As the opposition boycotts the parliamentary and local elections, the president in power since 1994 says he intends to run next year.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who has held power since 1994, says he intends to seek re-election next year, which could extend his grip on the country to 36 years.

He spoke on Sunday as the country, a neighbour and ally of Russia, held tightly controlled parliamentary and local elections decried as a sham by the opposition, which dismissed the balloting as a “senseless farce”.

“Tell them I will run in the [2025] election,” Lukashenko said, according to a social media channel run by his team. “No one, no responsible president would abandon his people who followed him into battle.”

The parliamentary and local elections – which started on Tuesday and end on Sunday – are the first nationwide vote since the presidential election of 2020, which sparked huge protests against Lukashenko, who is widely believed to have rigged the result to extend his decades-long rule.

The elections are set to cement Lukashenko’s steely rule despite calls for a boycott from the opposition.