This is a list of all presidents of Belarus, Including their terms In office, and political affiliations:
President | Term Start | Term End | Party |
|---|---|---|---|
Alexander Lukashenko | 20 July 1994 | Incumbent | Independent |
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Current Presidents Of Belarus
Aleksandr Lukashenko has been the President of Belarus since July 20, 1994. He was the first and only person to hold this position after the Belarusian Constitution was adopted.
Lukashenko won the presidency in a competitive election, getting about 80.3% of the vote in a runoff against Vyacheslav Kebich, who was the Chairman of the Council of Ministers at that time.
Since then, Lukashenko has kept a strong hold on power, which has led to a big reduction in political freedoms in Belarus. Lukashenko has been re-elected several times, with elections in 2001, 2006, 2010, 2015, and 2020.
The 2020 election was very controversial. Lukashenko claimed to have won 80.1% of the votes, but many international observers said the election was not fair. This led to large protests in Belarus, with many people saying the election was rigged.
The government responded with a harsh crackdown, arresting thousands of people and facing accusations of human rights abuses.
Many opposition leaders, including Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, had to leave the country because of the pressure. However, Lukashenko has made several changes to the constitution to stay in power.
In 1996, a referendum allowed him to extend his term and gain more power, including the ability to rule by decree. A 2022 referendum brought back a two-term limit for future presidents, but this does not apply to Lukashenko.
This means he can stay in power indefinitely. Recently, Lukashenko signed a law giving himself lifelong immunity from prosecution, making it harder for anyone to challenge him legally in the future.
This law also sets stricter rules for who can run for president, requiring candidates to have lived in Belarus for at least 20 years and not have held foreign residency.
These rules make it difficult for opposition figures to run in elections. Lukashenko’s relationship with Russia has been complicated, with periods of both cooperation and tension.
He has signed agreements to bring Belarus closer to Russia economically and politically. However, his government has faced increasing isolation from Western countries, especially after the violent crackdown on protests in 2020 and ongoing accusations of human rights violations.