Next presidential election announced in Belarus, voting on January 26

Minsk (Belarus), 23 October (Hindustan Reporter). The next presidential election in Belarus, a key ally of Russia, will be held on January 26. The Central Election Commission of Belarus announced this today. Belarus has been ruled by President Alexander Lukashenko since 1994.

According to The Moscow Times, election commission officials have said that Parliament has approved the voting date. It is noteworthy that Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who challenged Lukashenko in the 2020 presidential elections, had claimed victory. After this he was forced to leave the country. He has been in exile ever since.

Tikhanovskaya has reacted sharply to the Election Commission's announcement.

“No alternate candidates or observers will be allowed,” he wrote on Twitter. “We call on Belarusians and the international community to reject this hypocrisy.” Tikhanovskaya's husband is a prominent opposition leader of Belarus. He was arrested and jailed before voting in 2020. Since then he is in jail. According to the Viasna human rights group, there are currently about 1,300 political prisoners in Belarus.