Controversial Belarus Election Set Amidst Political Tensions

Belarusian lawmakers have scheduled the next presidential election for January 26, likely extending Alexander Lukashenko's three-decade rule. Opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya denounced it as a 'farce'. The 2020 election protests led to violent crackdowns, with Lukashenko using political prisoners as leverage against Western sanctions.

Belarusian lawmakers have set January 26 as the date for the next presidential election, an event poised to extend the lengthy reign of President Alexander Lukashenko. Known for quashing political dissent, Lukashenko has already expressed his intention to run for a seventh consecutive term.

Exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has condemned the forthcoming election as a 'farce', calling on both Belarusians and the international community to reject what she termed a sham electoral process that continues under an air of repression.

Since the contentious 2020 election, widely criticized as fraudulent by the opposition and Western nations, Belarus has seen significant civil unrest met with violence. With political prisoners still a crucial issue, Lukashenko's recent releases appear as strategic moves aimed at easing Western sanctions and validating the election outcomes.

(With inputs from agencies.)