Four and a half years ago, in a different enterprise, the leader of Belarus received a very cold reception.
A week after the 2020 presidential election, Alexander Lukashenko visited the Minsk wheeled tractor plant. The leaked video shows him being heckled and heckled by workers. “Go away! Go away!” they shouted.
An official election result of 80% for Mr Lukashenko in 2020 sparked anger and mass protests across the country. Belarusians took to the streets to accuse their leader of stealing their votes and elections.
In the brutal police crackdown that followed, thousands of anti-government protesters and critics were arrested. Eventually a wave of repression quelled the protests and, with Russia’s help, Mr Lukashenko clung to power.
The United Kingdom, the European Union and the United States refused to recognize him as the legitimate president of Belarus.
Alexander Lukashenko’s fiercest opponents (and potential rivals) are either in prison or forced into exile.
That’s why this week the European Parliament passed a resolution rejecting the upcoming EU presidential election as “a disgrace” and pointing out that the election campaign was also an environment of extreme repression. I’m getting Minimum Standards for Democratic Elections”.
I remember interviewing Alexander Lukashenko last October, the day the presidential election date was announced.
“How can these elections be free and democratic if the opposition leaders are in jail or abroad?” I asked.
“Do you really know who the leaders of the opposition are?” Mr Lukashenko backed down.
“The opposition is a group of people who are supposed to serve the interests of a small number of people in the country. Where are these leaders you speak of? Wake up!”
Alexander Lukashenko is not the only candidate. There are four more. But they seem more like spoilers than serious challengers.
