Why the Strongman of Belarus Is Fighting for Survival

President Alexander Lukashenko has maintained his hold on power amid the biggest political crisis of his 26-year rule in Belarus as riot police have confronted persistent street protests following the August election, which critics denounced as rigged. His bid for a sixth consecutive term had seemed a formality until opposition groups united behind a little-known challenger. As events unfolded, Russia, the European Union and the U.S. were jostling for influence in this strategically important country.

Lukashenko, who’s accustomed to landslide victories, appeared to have taken no chances this time by having key challengers detained or kept off the ballot. But Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the wife of one jailed opponent, was allowed to register, and she drew huge crowds at rallies nationwide after opposition groups pulled together to support her. So when officials declared Lukashenko had won 80.2% with just 9.9% for her, public anger over suspected ballot fraud boiled over. Discontent with Lukashenko, in office since 1994, had simmered for years as the state-dominated economy stagnated. It intensified with the coronavirus outbreak, after the president rejected lockdown measures to slow the epidemic and dismissed health fears by joking that drinking vodka and playing ice hockey offered protection.