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Let’s Talk - Belarus



Covid-19. Israel Palestine. Biden-Harris. Vaccine supply choked. Lockdowns. Cyclones. This is the news we see on a daily basis. But silently, quietly and insidiously the world has another nudnik to deal with – the country of Belarus. A landlocked country nestled among Poland, Ukraine and Russia; the tumultuous history is one worth dwelling into.



Key Points

1. Alexander Lukashenko

  • Who is he?

  1. He is a Belarusian politician who has served as the first and only president of Belarus since the establishment of the office on 20 July 1994.

  2. Lukashenko, 66, held posts in the Soviet Army and the communist youth organization and party when Belarus was part of the Soviet Union. Before the fall of the Soviet Union he rose to prominence.

  3. His official website describes him as “a people’s politician” and “president of the ordinary people.” However electoral irregularities, gross human rights violations and corruption have been the alleged standout features of his regime.


(Alexander Lukashenko)


  • Quashing Opposition

  1. Most every election he has won has been marred with seething allegations of fraud, ballot theft and voter suppression.

  2. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the main opponent of Lukashenko claimed to have carried the 2020 election with 60-70% votes, but she was forced to flee the country after he declared victory with 80% of the votes. Other opposition leaders have either been silenced or arrested.

  3. Despite repeated petitions to re-certify the elections or release confidential documents, he has blatantly refused and clutched onto the sanctity of the elections.