2025 Belarusian presidential election explained

Country:Belarus
Type:presidential
Ongoing:yes
Previous Election:2020 Belarusian presidential election
Previous Year:2020
Next Election:Next Belarusian presidential election
Election Date:TBD
President
Before Election:Alexander Lukashenko
Before Party:Independent politician

Presidential elections are scheduled to be held in Belarus in 2025 under the terms of the constitution. The president is directly elected to serve a five-year term.

Background

Mass protests erupted following the disputed outcome of the 2020 presidential elections in which incumbent Alexander Lukashenko claimed victory. Opposition candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya subsequently claimed to have received between 60 and 70% of the vote and asked the international community to recognise her as the winner of the election.[1] [2] [3]

On 17 August 2020, Lukashenko stated that the next presidential election could be held earlier than 2025 if a new constitution were to be adopted.[4] Tsikhanouskaya stated that she was ready to lead a transitional government and to hold early elections under international supervision.[5] [6] Lukashenko also said that he will resign if a new constitution is adopted.[7]

On 15 August 2024, independent media reported, citing BELPOL, an NGO consisting of ex-police and military personnel, that the government was reportedly planning to hold the next presidential election on 23 February 2025[8] .

Candidates

On 25 February 2024, Alexander Lukashenko announced intentions of running for his seventh term in 2025.[9]

Opinion polls

DateAgencyViktar BabarykaAlexander LukashenkoPavel LatushkoValery TsepkaloSviatlana TsikhanouskayaSyarhey RumasSergei TikhanovskyMaria KalesnikavaVladimir MakeiZianon PazniakAndrey DmitriyeuAnatol LiabedzkaMaxim ZnakVeranika TsapkalaNatalya KochanovaYury KarayeuIvonka SurvillaMikola StatkevichPaval SieviaryniecRoman GolovchenkoOleg GaidukevichMaksim Bogrecov
1-10 Nov 2021Chatham House19%27%4%4%6%3%3%3% - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
30%30%11%8%10%5%8%8%4%
23 Jul - 3 Aug 2021Chatham House22%27%4%3%6%3%2%2% 1%2% 2% - - - - - - - -1% - - - -
33%28%10%8%13%6%7%7%2%2%3%2%
20-30 Apr 2021Chatham House25%23%8%3%4%3%3%2%1%1%1% - - - - - - - -2% - - - -
33%25%14%9%10%8%8%8%2%2%2%4%
12 Jan - 8 Feb 2021Ecoom2.5%66.5%1.3% -1.5%0.4% - -2.4% - - - - - -4.4% - - - - -3.8%1.9% -
14-20 Jan 2021Chatham House28.8%27.4%12.1%3.7% 4.0%4.3%5.8%4.2%2.3%1.3%1.3%0.1%0.6%0.3%0.1%0.4%0.1% - -2.1%1.0% - - -
35.3%23.9%18.3%9.6%11.2%7.3%8.6%8.2%4.4%2.4%2.1%0.6%1.3%0.7%0.8%1.3%1.1%0.1%4.2%1.4%0.4%
13-18 Nov 2020Chatham House31.7%24.2%14.2%7.0%6.2%4.4%3.3%3.2%1.7%1.4%1.0%0.4%0.4%0.1%0.1%0.1%0.1%0.1%0.0% - - - - -
38.2%20.8%20.3%12.1%9.9%7.2%5.9%7.5%2.5%2.4%1.5%0.7%0.6%0.7%0.5%1.2%0.5%0.4%0.1%

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: Belarus election: Exiled leader calls weekend of 'peaceful rallies' . 15 August 2020 . . 14 August 2020 . 19 August 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200819182051/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53780685 . live .
  2. Web site: Belarus opposition candidate declares victory | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News. www3.nhk.or.jp. 17 August 2020. 16 August 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200816073345/https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200815_05/amp.html?__twitter_impression=true. live.
  3. Web site: Тихановская готовится объявить себя победительницей выборов в Беларуси – пресс-секретарь. gordonua.com. 17 August 2020. 23 January 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220123200859/https://gordonua.com/news/worldnews/tihanovskaya-gotovitsya-obyavit-sebya-pobeditelnicey-vyborov-v-belarusi-press-sekretar-1513911.html. live.
  4. News: Heckled And Jeered, Lukashenka Says New Election Could Be Held After Constitutional Changes. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 17 August 2020 . 17 August 2020. 12 January 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210112152820/https://www.rferl.org/a/calls-for-strikes-in-belarus-keep-pressure-on-lukashenka-after-huge-minsk-rally/30787556.html. live.
  5. Web site: Belarus: Opposition leader says 'ready to lead country' . Teslova . Elena . 17 August 2020 . www.aa.com.tr . PDF . 2020-08-17 . 1 November 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201101180048/https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/belarus-opposition-leader-says-ready-to-lead-country/1944479 . live .
  6. Web site: Łukaszenka może liczyć już tylko na Putina - OKO.press. oko.press. 17 August 2020. 16 August 2020. https://archive.today/20200816120343/https://oko.press/lukaszence-zostal-juz-tylko-putin-cichanouska-wzywa-do-lokalnego-przejmowania-wladzy/. live.
  7. Web site: Belarus president plans to leave job under new constitution . . 6 August 2021 . English . November 27, 2020 . 19 January 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210119122241/https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/belarus-leader-constitution-put-job-74430687 . live .
  8. News: BELPOL заявляет, что президентские выборы проведут 23 февраля 2025 года. Reform News. 15 August 2024 . 15 August 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240815140342/https://reform.news/belpol-zjavljaet-chto-prezidentskie-vybory-provedut-23-fevralja-2025-goda . 2024-08-15.
  9. News: 2024-02-25 . Лукашенко ответил на вопрос, пойдет ли на следующие президентские выборы . live . 2024-08-05 . . ru.