Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko on Thursday made a startling accusation against Russia for allegedly interfering in the country’s presidential election campaign and propping up his opponents’ campaigns. The comments were made while announcing the appointments of new ambassadors, with Lukashenko insinuating that external forces were spreading information to “discredit him and his family members”.
Lukashenko has led Belarus for the past 26 years and for the first time is facing strong challenges to hold on to his seat in the upcoming 9 August election as the public is frustrated over his decision-making during the coronavirus pandemic. Belarusians are also deeply aggrieved over the country’s dwindling economy and rapidly increasing intolerance for human rights and dissent.
On 19 June, the last day for Belarusian citizens to sign ballot petitions for presidential candidates, around 140 people at opposition rallies in Minsk were detained, including media personnel. Reportedly, internet access was also disrupted in the capital; in other parts of the country, protestors were threatened with force or told that their gatherings were illegal. Lukashenko hailed these moves as his government’s efforts to thwart a revolution.
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Lukashenko has been described as “Europe’s Last Dictator” as he has consistently been re-elected since 1994 in extremely curated campaigns with more than 80% majority. But this time around, grassroots campaigners have managed to collect hundreds of thousands of supporters to register opposition candidates. The government’s reactionary crackdown has included charging one of these candidates with allegations of public disorder and raids of premises where dissidents work. Viktor Babariko, an ex-banker whose company was the victim of such a raid, has said that since his severe mismanagement of the pandemic, Lukashenko’s approval ratings have collapsed to less than 50%.
It is therefore unsurprising that the Lukashenko administration, whose relations with Moscow have been strained in the recent months, after the latter has reduced its subsidies, would blame Russia for interference in its affairs. Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesperson, denied Lukashenko’s statements, affirming that Russia would never interfere in electoral processes, especially of its Belarusian ally.
Lukashenko has also said that he will be discussing this matter with Russian President Vladimir Putin soon, but did not specify a date for the meeting. Putin himself is in the midst of a week-long public referendum to determine whether he can be re-elected and hold office until 2026. Russia has previously been accused of meddling in elections in the United States.
Image Source: TASS