Belarus sets a Jan. 26 election that’s almost certain to extend its authoritarian leader’s rule

Associated Press

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Lawmakers in Belarus set the next presidential election for Jan. 26, a vote almost certain to extend the three-decade rule of authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko. He has suppressed all dissent and forced opposition leaders to flee the country. Exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya swiftly denounced the upcoming balloting as a “farce” and urged the world not to recognize it. Lukashenko has already said he would seek what would be his seventh consecutive term. His last victory came in a 2020 election denounced at home and abroad as fraudulent. That prompted an unprecedented wave of mass protests. His government responded with a violent crackdown, arresting and beating thousands. Opposition leaders have since been jailed or forced to flee the country.