In 2025, so-called presidential elections will take place in Belarus, but in reality, these will be non-elections because the right to vote has been stolen from the people.
The electoral campaign is being conducted in the context of a deep political crisis in the Republic of Belarus. Alexander Lukashenko unlawfully holds power through repression against the Belarusian society, relying on support from the Kremlin.
At present, more than 1,300 people are officially recognized as political prisoners, and potential candidates have been unlawfully imprisoned or forced into exile.
Due to repression, Belarusians will not be able to see democratic candidates on the ballots, nor will they be able to participate in rallies and the campaign.
Fearing another defeat in the elections, the regime has deregistered all opposition parties, shut down more than 1,700 civil society organizations, and closed all independent media.
This situation is even further from free elections than ever before in Belarus.
We demand an end to all forms of repression, the release of all political prisoners, the realization of the right of all citizens of Belarus to fully participate in the elections regardless of their place of residence, the guarantee of freedom of assembly and equal access to the media, as well as the conduct of elections in accordance with international OSCE standards and under the supervision of observers.
If these demands are not met by the regime, we consider what will happen in 2025 to be a mere imitation of the electoral process and propose that people protest by voting against all those who steal our right to vote. We also propose other ways to express protest depending on how the situation develops.
In this way, we will show that Belarusian society continues to stand against Lukashenko and demands free and fair elections.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus Coordination Council of Belarus
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