MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th August, 2020) The Belarusian citizens will go to the polling places on Sunday to elect their next president, with the election campaign already marked by unprecedented tensions, massive protests and a crackdown on opposition candidates.
More than 6.8 million people are eligible to cast their ballots. Early voting started on Tuesday, with the turnout at over 30 percent, according to the Belarusian Central Election Commission.
Five politicians are running, including incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko, who has been in office since 1994. His main rival in the election is Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who has registered as a candidate instead of her detained husband, popular blogger Sergei Tikhanovsky.
Former head of Belgazprombank Viktor Babariko and former Belarusian Ambassador to US Valery Tsepkalo � both enjoying considerable support from the opposition � have been denied registration by the CEC. Babariko has been arrested, while Tsepkalo fled to Russia fearing arrest. Their persecution by the authorities has sparked massive outrage and protests in the country as well as the criticism abroad.
According to the CEC, 133 observers from the former Soviet states are accredited, including 34 from the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly, and 22 observers from the diplomatic corps stationed in the country. There will be no observers from PACE due to the pandemic and none from OSCE as it has not received an invitation on time. Both the Belarusian opposition and a number of Western countries have voiced their concerns over a dismal amount of international observers and are alarmed that the election might be rigged.
This is the first time in Belarus' history when Lukashenko faces a tough time in the presidential election as public support for his candidacy has significantly declined, due to deep economic problems, among other things.
If no candidate obtains 50 percent of the votes, top two will face one another in the runoff.
