U.S. Official Blasts Belarus for Staging Illegitimate Elections – Sky Bulletin
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The United States has publicly criticized the recent parliamentary elections in Belarus. On February 25, Matthew Miller, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, labeled the elections as illegitimate and expressed skepticism regarding their credibility.
“Free and fair elections cannot be conducted in an environment where fear prevails and there are over 1,400 political detainees,” Miller expressed on the platform X.
The elections in Belarus occurred on February 25 and witnessed widespread disapproval from democratic opposition within the country. Alexander Lukashenko, the autocratic leader of Belarus, continues to consolidate his power through such elections, which lack genuine democratic participation.
Exiled opposition figure Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya called on the citizens of Belarus to disregard the elections, terming them as a “senseless spectacle,” through a video distributed by activists utilizing public advertising displays within the country.
The election saw just four political parties on the ballot, each aligned with Lukashenko’s government: Belaya Rus, the CPB, the RPTS, and the LDPB. Genuine opposition representation was absent as several parties had been barred from registration the previous year.
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After the demise of Russian political figure Alexei Navalny who passed away in a Russian penitentiary, Belarus’s opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya demanded democratic countries to take a stand, in the week which also saw another political prisoner’s death in Belarus. In relation to the parliamentary election…
The voting concluded at 8 p.m. on February 25, with claims from Belarus’s Central Election Commission of a turnout rate of 73%. The full election results were to be disclosed on February 26.
Tsikhanouskaya expressed gratitude towards allies for their stance against the “sham elections” through the platform X. “This mockery cannot turn a tyrant into a democrat,” she stated.
Amid the election day, Lukashenko hinted at the possibility of running for a seventh term in the 2025 presidential race. Lukashenko has maintained his authoritarian rule since 1994 through election rigging and harsh repression against opposition movements.
Under his rule, Belarus faces severe restrictions on the freedom of the press and civil society, with pervasive surveillance and random arrests being the norm. Approximately 1,430 individuals are currently held as political prisoners in Belarus, according to the human rights group Viasna, with many subjected to abuse and torture while in custody.
Lukashenko’s 2020 presidential election win was widely discredited internationally for being fraudulent. The ensuing country-wide protests were met with extreme force by the government. Tsikhanouskaya, who currently leads the Belarusian democratic opposition from abroad, alleges she secured 60% of the popular vote.
Lukashenko’s close ties with Russia were also brought to light during his support of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine by permitting Russian troops to use Belarusian grounds as an advancement point for attacks in 2022. Moreover, Belarus has been implicated in launching missiles into Ukraine on behalf of Russia.
FAQs About Belarus Parliamentary Elections
- Why are the Belarus parliamentary elections considered illegitimate by the U.S.?
- The U.S. considers the elections illegitimate because they were conducted in an atmosphere of intimidation and without real opposition participation, with many political prisoners in the country.
- What was the response of the Belarusian opposition to the elections?
- The Belarusian opposition, led by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, urged a boycott of the elections and referred to them as a farce.
- How has Belarus suppressed political opposition?
- The Lukashenko regime has a history of stifling free media, curtailing civil liberties, arbitrary arrests, and torturing political prisoners.
- What is the significance of the election turnout rate claimed by Belarus?
- The claimed turnout rate of 73% has been met with skepticism, as it does not reflect independent assessments and comes from a context of government-controlled processes.
Conclusion
The international community, led by voices such as the U.S. State Department, has outspokenly condemned the parliamentary elections in Belarus due to serious and systematic impediments to democratic processes. The lack of genuine opposition candidates and the presence of a significant number of political prisoners underscore the political oppression prevalent under Lukashenko’s regime. As the world watches, the consequences of such undemocratic actions continue to unfold, affecting not only the domestic sphere of Belarus but also its international relations, particularly amidst the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
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