Key points
- Lukashenko took 86.8pc of vote in Sunday’s election
- European politicians have said the vote was neither free nor fair
- Russian, Chinese presidents and Pakistan premier congratulate Belarus leader on re-election
MINSK: Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko has extended his three-decade rule with a massive win in a presidential election, according to the preliminary results on Monday.
The head of the country’s Central Election Commission of the Republic Igor Karpenko said, “You can congratulate the Republic of Belarus, we have elected a president.”
The country’s top electoral body chief made the announcement during a press conference on Monday.
World reacts over re-election
Russian state media, Reuters news agency, and AFP cited the results published by the Central Election Commission’s Telegram account as saying that Lukashenko took 86.8 per cent of the vote in Sunday’s election.
Reuters reported that European politicians said the vote was neither free nor fair because independent media are banned in the former Soviet state and all leading opposition figures have been sent to penal colonies or forced to flee abroad.
Asked regarding the jailing of his rivals, Lukashenko said they had “chosen” their fate. He said that they did not kick anyone out of the country.
Putin and Xi
Russian President Putin has congratulated Belarus leader Lukashenko on re-election, praised his “authority”, Kremlin said in a statement.
“Your convincing victory in the elections clearly testifies to your high political authority and to the undoubted support of the population for the state policy Belarus is pursuing,” Putin said, according to the Kremlin.
Chinese president Xi Jinping on Monday congratulated Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko on winning a seventh term in office, China’s state media reported
” President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to Lukashenko on his re-election as President of Belarus,” state news agency Xinhua said.
Similarly, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has congratulated President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko on his historic victory in the presidential election, Radio Pakistan reported.
Heartiest congratulations to my brother President Aleksandr Lukashenko on his historic victory in yesterday’s presidential elections. Wishing him continued success for a historic 7th term in office. We will keep working together to realize our shared vision for stronger…
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) January 27, 2025
In a post on social media, Shehbaz Sharif wished him continued success for the 7th term in office.
The premier said that they would keep working together to realize our shared vision for stronger Pak-Belarus ties.
