Belarus’ incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko has won the presidential election. Preliminary data from the Central Election Commission shows that Lukashenko received 86.82 per cent of the vote. Meanwhile, other candidates, Sergei Syrankov, Oleg Gaidukevich, Anna Kanopatskaya, and Alexander Khizhnyak secured 3.21 per cent, 2.02 per cent, 1.86 per cent, and 1.74 per cent of the vote, respectively. The presidential election began in Belarus yesterday. Voters cast their ballots at 5,325 polling stations nationwide, with the number of eligible voters standing at approximately 6.9 million. Early voting for the presidential election took place from January 21 to 25. The Central Election Commission reported on Saturday that 41.81 per cent of eligible voters participated during the five-day early voting period, organized for those unable to vote on election day. The president is elected for five-year terms.
A two-term limit, reintroduced by 2022 amendments to the constitution, will be imposed after this election. According to the law, Belarus’ president is chosen through direct elections, and a candidate receiving more than 50 per cent of the vote is declared elected.