Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is poised to extend his rule for another five years, securing a seventh term with 87.6% of the vote based on exit polls broadcast on state television.

Lukashenko, who has been at the helm of Belarus since 1994, is a known ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The election, which saw an 81.5% voter turnout among the 6.9 million eligible voters, has been met with condemnation from the United States and the European Union. Both international bodies have criticized the electoral process, citing the absence of independent media and the suppression of opposition, with all leading opposition figures either imprisoned or exiled.

Lukashenko, who rose to power as a former collective farm director, has a history of quelling dissent. The 2020 protests against his re-election were met with severe crackdowns, and he allowed Russian forces to use Belarusian territory for the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The opposition and Western nations have accused him of rigging the 2020 election, leading to over a thousand people still being detained for their involvement in the resulting protests.

In a public statement at a ceremony in Minsk on Friday, Lukashenko defiantly remarked, "All our opponents and enemies should understand: do not hope, we will never repeat what we had in 2020," emphasizing his intent to maintain control without the chaos of past protests.

The narrative from the Belarusian government under Lukashenko's leadership has consistently been one of ensuring peace and order, directly attributing any unrest to the opposition's actions. For many in Belarus, Lukashenko's rule has been the only political reality since he first won the presidency at age 39, shortly after the country's independence from the Soviet Union.

This election underscores the ongoing tension between authoritarian governance in Belarus and the international community's push for democratic standards and human rights. (ILKHA)