Belarus Holds Controversial Parliamentary Election

Facts

• Belarus held its first parliamentary elections since 2020 on Sunday, with voter turnout reportedly at 43.64% an hour after polls officially opened. 40% of voters, according to election authorities, cast ballots during the early voting period from Tuesday through Saturday.¹
• Officials claimed Monday that 73% of the 6.9M eligible voters cast ballots for 110 Parliament seats and over 12K local council seats.²
• The only parties on the ballot were supporters of Pres. Alexander Lukashenko, including the Communist Party, the Liberal Democratic Party, the Party of Labor and Justice, and Belaya Rus, the latter of which won 51 Parliament seats.²
• This took place after Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, from exile in Lithuania, urged a boycott of the election, which she called a 'senseless farce.'²
• Polling places had their curtains drawn for the first time in the nation's history, and voters were not allowed to take pictures of their votes. In 2020, opposition voters were encouraged to do so to prevent ballot manipulation.¹
• Following protests over the 2020 elections, the government banned roughly a dozen opposition parties from running. Rights groups claim Lukashenko's security services also targeted the families of opposition politicians.³

Sources: ¹Guardian, ²Associated Press and ³Al Jazeera.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by New York Times. Given the history of authoritarianism under Lukashenko, it's reasonable to question election integrity. Following the 2020 election — which featured opposition participation — thousands of protesters were arrested or imprisoned, all opposition parties were banned from the next ballot, and the only politician who publicly criticized Lukashenko was forced into exile. This election needs to be deeply investigated.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Belarusian Telegraph Agency. Western countries, including the US, should stay out of Belarusian affairs. The sovereign legislature of Belarus oversaw this lawful, free, and fair voting process, which — to the chagrin of the US Dept. of State — resulted in a win for pro-Belarus politicians. As the 2025 presidential election approaches, it would be best if the US and its allies refrain from criticizing the electoral process of an independent country.

Predictions