Longtime Belarus leader votes in presidential elex

Longtime Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko cast his ballot in the country's presidential elections Sunday.Belarusians are voting on whether to grant their authoritarian president a sixth term in office, following a campaign marked by unusually strong demonstrations by opposition supporters frustrated with the country’s stumbling economy, political repression and weak response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Incumbent Lukashenko, in office for 26 years, has made it clear he won’t hesitate to quash any attempt by his opponents to protest the results of Sunday’s election.The head of staff for main opposition candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya was detained late Saturday for allegedly participating in authorized protests and is likely to be in jail until at least Monday.

Tsikhanouskaya herself reportedly was so concerned about her own security that she left her residence to spend the night elsewhere.She is the wife of a jailed opposition blogger and became the main opposition candidate after two other prominent aspirants were denied places on the ballot.

One of them was jailed and the other, former ambassador to the United States Valery Tsepkalo, fled the country fearing imminent arrest.As polls opened on Sunday, the country’s central elections commission said more than 40% of the electorate had cast ballots in early voting, a figure likely to heighten concerns about the results’ legitimacy because of the potential for manipulation.

(Image Credit: AP)