| Belarus is a landlocked country in Central East Europe, bordered by Russia, Poland, and Ukraine. Most of the country’s economy is under state control, and it is heavily reliant on Russia for most of its resources, especially gas. Belarus has been under President Alexander Lukashenko’s authoritarian control since 1994. Lukashenko has pursued close |
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| relations with Russia, cracked-down on free press and political opposition, and eliminated presidential term limits. Western observers have consistently criticized Belarus’ elections as unfair and undemocratic. |
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Lukashenko has been labeled "Europe's last dictator" by the United States government. One of the biggest concerns to the West has been President Lukashenko's policy of maintaining close ties with Russia. While Lukashenko rejected a Russian proposal to unite the two countries under the Russian constitution with a single government, he did sign an agreement to merge Russia and Belarus' currencies and tax systems. The Russian ruble is set to become the official currency of Belarus on January 1, 2008.
On March 19, 2006, Belarus will hold the third presidential elections since it gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. The elections are being held four months before the term of current president Alexander Lukashenko is set to expire. Opposition leaders claim the election was set to disrupt the campaigning plans of opposition candidates, and are already anticipating elections fraud. They have called for nation-wide protests in the event of fraudulent elections.
Lukashenko has developed tight controls on press freedom and political opposition. He has been accused of causing the disappearance of political opponents and independent journalists. In 2005 parliament approved a bill that created tough penalties for those who protested against the government or distributed information considered harmful to national interests. Most recently, the government has issued a decree banning all election-day demonstrations.
These examples document the government's anti-opposition policies in action: Opposition leaders and foreign press were kept from attending a Soviet-style people's congress held in the beginning of March 2006; when Social Democratic Party leader Alexander Kozulin attempted to gain entrance to the congress, he was beaten by police and taken into custody; when the main opposition presidential candidate, Alexander Milinkevich, tried to hold an election rally in Minsk, hundreds of riot police were sent in to disperse the crowd; and authorities seized two trucks carrying copies of the independent newspaper “Narodnaya volya,” imported from Russia where it was published to avoid being shut-down by the Belarus government
Despite continued demonstrations, Lukashenko, by these actions has eliminated any possibility of the kind of peaceful, democratic transition, which took place in Ukraine and Georgia.
Timeline
- 1991 – Belarus declares independence from the Soviet Union.
- 1994 – Alexander Lukashenko becomes president.
- 1995 – Friendship and cooperation pact with Russia signed; the president’s powers are widened. There are protests in the streets, but they are disbanded.
- 1996 – Lukashenko increases his powers again and extends his term in office.
- 1997 – Protesters sign a pro-democracy manifesto “Charter ’97.” Belarus’ observer status at the Council of Europe is suspended.
- 1998 – Belarus signs an agreement with Russia, which would merge their currencies and tax systems.
- 2000 October – Parliamentary elections are criticized by observers.
- 2001 March – Thousands gather in Minsk to demonstrate against Lukashenko.
- 2001 September – Lukashenko is re-elected; observers criticize elections.
- 2002 – Lukashenko rejects Russian proposals to join countries under Russian constitution with a single government and parliament.
- 2004 October – Referendum to allow the country’s president to serve more than two terms passes. Opposition parties fail to gain any seats in parliamentary elections. Observers criticize fairness of elections. Dozens of demonstrators are arrested.
- 2004 December – Opposition politician Mikhail Marinich jailed for five years on charges of stealing office equipment; Marinich claims the charges are politically motivated.
- 2005 – Parliament approves a bill creating tough penalties for those who incite demonstrations or distribute information harmful to national interests.
- 2006 February – Dozens of opposition demonstrators are arrested in Minsk.
- 2006 March – Parliament sets presidential elections for March 19th, four months before Lukashenko’s term expires; opposition leaders claim the earlier date was set to interfere with opposition candidate Alexander Milinkevich’s campaign.
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