Presidential "elections" have begun in Belarus.

This is reported by BelTA, as conveyed by Ukrinform.

Early voting took place from January 21 to January 25. A total of 41.81% of citizens registered on the electoral rolls voted early in the "elections" for president.

There are 5,325 polling stations open across the country. They will operate today from 08:00 to 20:00 local time.

Voters also have the option to vote from home if they are unable to come to the polling place due to health reasons or other valid causes. A voter has the right to request in writing or verbally to the relevant precinct commission to organize voting at their location.

The ballot includes information about five candidates. The ballots for voting are printed in the Belarusian language.

The results of the "elections" for the president of Belarus will be announced by the Central Election Commission no later than February 5, stated Igor Karpenko, the head of the CEC.

As reported by Ukrinform, it is expected that Alexander Lukashenko will achieve a predicted victory in the presidential "elections" on January 26 and remain in power for a seventh consecutive term.

Furthermore, his regime refused to invite an OSCE mission to observe the presidential "elections," which is a violation of the country's obligations.

Democratic forces in Belarus have repeatedly stated that they will demand non-recognition of these "elections" by the international community.

On January 22, Members of the European Parliament called on EU countries and the international community not to recognize the results of the fake presidential elections in Belarus.

The following day, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Georgiy Tikhiy, declared that recognizing Lukashenko's legitimacy after the "voting" in Belarus is not relevant for Ukraine, which also stands in solidarity with the position of democratic countries regarding the lack of conditions for holding elections in Belarus according to OSCE standards.

The EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaia Kallas, called the "elections" in the country fictitious. In France, it was stated that based on the available information, they consider the "elections" to be undemocratic and illegitimate.

Lukashenko has been in power since 1994. During his rule, he has suppressed several waves of protests against his regime, including massive demonstrations against election fraud following the 2020 vote. At that time, tens of thousands of Belarusians took to the streets; however, the president conducted arrests that led to lengthy prison sentences for opponents, journalists, and activists.

Photo: BelTA