Belarus commission approves Lukashenko's 7th term bid but rejects opposition candidates

The nationalist elections committee successful Belarus has registered an inaugural group for authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko to activity a seventh word successful office, but rejected nan attempts of 2 guidance politicians to get connected nan ballot

TALLINN, Estonia -- The nationalist elections committee successful Belarus connected Tuesday registered an inaugural group for authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko to activity a seventh word successful office, but rejected nan attempts of 2 guidance politicians to get connected nan ballot.

The election, scheduled for Jan. 26, would travel 4 1/2 years aft nan 2020 ballot that sparked monolithic nationwide protests and led to a harsh crackdown connected opposition that continues.

Major guidance figures were either imprisoned aliases fled nan state successful nan crackdown, successful which immoderate 65,000 group were arrested. Human authorities activists opportunity Belarus now holds astir 1,300 governmental prisoners and that galore of them are denied capable aesculapian attraction and interaction pinch their families.

Since coming to powerfulness successful 1994, Lukashenko has persistently suppressed guidance and independent news media.

The Central Election Commission connected Tuesday opened registration for inaugural groups, which must cod astatine slightest 100,000 signatures by Dec. 6 to nominate a candidate.

It rejected nan registration of inaugural groups for nan leader of nan For Freedom movement, Yuras Hubarevich, citing “violation of nan process for submitting documents.” Politician Aliaxandar Drazdou besides was denied registration.

“These are not elections, but an electoral farce, and nan actions of nan Central Election Commission only beryllium that not a azygous existent force of Lukashenko will beryllium allowed to participate successful nan elections,” Hubarevich told The Associated Press.

“The politicians who erstwhile dared to situation Lukashenko are now virtually rotting successful situation successful torture conditions, location has been nary interaction pinch them for complete a year, and immoderate of them are successful very mediocre health,” said Pavel Sapelka, a spokesperson for nan Viasna quality authorities group, whose Nobel Peace Prize-winning laminitis Ales Bialiatski is among those imprisoned.