Alexander Lukashenko Алякса́ндар Лукашэ́нка
1st President of Belarus
Incumbent
Assumed office  July 20, 1994
Preceded by	Myechyslaw Hryb (as chairman of the Supreme Soviet of Belarus)
Born	August 30, 1954 Kopys, Belarus

Aleksandr Grigoryevich Lukashenko or Alyaksandar Ryhoravich Lukashenka (Belarusian: Алякса́ндар Рыго́равіч Лукашэ́нка, Russian: Алекса́ндр Григо́рьевич Лукаше́нко) (born August 30, 1954 at Kopys, Vitebsk voblast) has been the President of Belarus since 1994. Image File history File linksMetadata Alexander_Lukashenko_Mogilev_visit. ... History of Belarusian states can be traced far to Duchy of Pólacak. ... // In politics The incumbent, in politics, is the current holder of a political office. ... July 20 is the 201st day (202nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 164 days remaining. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Supreme Soviet (Russian: , Verhovniy Sovet, literally the Supreme Council) comprised the highest legislative body in the Soviet Union in the interim of the sessions of the Congress of Soviets, and the only one with the power to pass constitutional amendments. ... August 30 is the 242nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (243rd in leap years), with 123 days remaining. ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Kopys is a city in the Vitebsk voblast, Belarus. ... August 30 is the 242nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (243rd in leap years), with 123 days remaining. ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Kopys is a city in the Vitebsk voblast, Belarus. ... Viciebsk Province (Vitebsk Province) is a province (voblast) of Belarus with capital Viciebsk. ... Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States (1861-1865) The majority of this article is about heads of states. ...

Early career (to 1994)

Lukashenko was born in 1954 in the village of Kopys in the Vitebsk voblast of what was then the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Repubic. He graduated from the Mogilev Pedagogical Institute in 1975, leading a Komsomol chapter in Mogilev from 1977-1978. In 1975-1977 and in 1980-1982 Lukashenko served in the frontier troops (Border Guards of KGB) and in the Soviet Army. After leaving the armed forces, he became the deputy chairman of a collective farm in 1982 and in 1985, after graduating from the Belarussian Agricultural Academy, he was promoted to the post of director of the Gorodets state farm and construction materials plant in the Shklov district. Viciebsk Province (Vitebsk Province) is a province (voblast) of Belarus with capital Viciebsk. ... This article describes the history of Belarus. ... Mogilev, or MahiloÅ­ (Belarusian Магілёў (Mahilyow), Russian Могилёв (Mogilev, Mogilyov), Polish Mohylew or Mogilew) is a city in eastern Belarus, close to the border to Russia with about 300,000 inhabitants. ... Komsomol (Комсомол) is a syllabic abbreviation word, from the Russian Kommunisticheski Soyuz Molodiozhi (Коммунистический союз молодёжи), or Communist... The KGB emblem and motto: The sword and the shield KGB (transliteration of КГБ) is the Russian-language abbreviation for Committee for State Security, (Russian: ; Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti). ... This article is about the armed forces of the Soviet Union. ... Collective farming is an organizational unit in agriculture in which peasants are not paid wages, but rather receive a share of the farms net output. ... A sovkhoz (Russian language: Совхоз, Советское хозяйство, sovetskoe khoziaistvo), typically translated as state farm, is a Soviet state-owned farm, in contrast with kolkhoz, which is a collective-owned... Categories: Belarus-related stubs | Towns in Belarus ...

In 1990, Lukashenko was elected as a Deputy in the Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Belarus, his first step as a politician. He founded a faction called Communists for Democracy, which advocated a democratic Soviet Union run on communist principles. He claims to have been the only deputy of the Belarusian parliament who voted against ratification of the December 1991 agreement that dissolved the Soviet Union and set up the Commonwealth of Independent States in its place. In the aftermath of the dissolution of the USSR, Lukashenko briefly returned to management of a state farm. The Supreme Soviet (Russian: , Verhovniy Sovet, literally the Supreme Council) comprised the highest legislative body in the Soviet Union in the interim of the sessions of the Congress of Soviets, and the only one with the power to pass constitutional amendments. ... Headquarters Minsk, Belarus Member states 11 member states 1 associate member Working language Russian Executive Secretary Vladimir Rushailo Formation December 21, 1991 Official website http://cis. ...

Having acquired a reputation as an eloquent opponent of corruption, Lukashenko was elected in 1993 to serve as the chairman of the anti-corruption committee of the Belarusian parliament. Although he maintained a close association with leftist Communist factions, he fell out of favour with much of the Party of Communists of Belarus for his attacks on the corruption and privileges of the Communist nomenklatura. PKB symbol The Party of Communists of Belarus (Belarusian: Партии коммунистов Белорусской, Partyja Kamunistaŭ Biełaruskaja, PKB) is a political party in Belarus, which opposes the regime of president Alexander Lukashenko. ... The nomenklatura were a small, élite subset of the general population of Party members in the Soviet Union, having more authority and claiming higher privileges as precisely the same kind of ruling class which Communist doctrine denounced in the Capitalist West. ...

In late 1993, he accused 70 senior government officials of corruption including stealing state funds for personal purposes. Stanislav Shushkevich, the speaker of the parliament, was accused by Lukashenko of failing to tackle government corruption. Lukashenko's accusations led to a vote of confidence, which Shushkevich lost. Some believe that the vague nature of the charges indicates they were merely a pretext for removing Shushkevich, who had become increasingly unpopular among the conservative parliamentary majority.^[1][2] Stanislav Stanislavovich Shushkevich (Belarusian: Станісла́ў Станісла́вавіч Шушке́віч; Stanisłaŭ Stanisłavavič Šuškievič) (b. ...

A new Belarusian constitution enacted in early 1994 paved the way for the first democratic presidential elections, held in July that year. Six candidates stood, including Lukashenko, who campaigned as an independent on a populist platform of "defeat[ing] the mafia." Shushkevich and Vyacheslav Kebich also ran, with the latter regarded as the clear favourite. In the event, Lukashenko won 45% of the vote against 15% for Kebich and only 10% for Shushkevich. A second round was held on July 10 in which Lukashenko won over 80% of the vote. July 10 is the 191st day (192nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 174 days remaining. ...

First term (1994–2001)

Lukashenko's victory came as a surprise to many in Belarus and abroad, given his youth and lack of experience. His manifesto during the campaign included establishing a clean government; removing corrupt officials from office and bringing to trial those who had abused their positions; maintaining pay and working conditions in what was still an almost entirely state-run economy; and moving towards greater integration between Belarus and Russia. There were wide-spread rumours in Belarus that he was supported by Russian secret services.

Although he won substantial popular support due to his proclaimed opposition to privatization and market reformers, much of his electoral platform was focused on the corruption of the Belarusian government. He claimed during the campaign that he was facing a constant threat of assassination and that he had even been shot at.

Lukashenko's platform was strongly at odds with the pro-reform policies backed by the leaders of Belarus' neighbours, which had undertaken radical reform following the fall of Communism. Very little privatization, however, had taken place in Belarus. Only 2% of the economy had been privatized by the time of Lukashenko's election. The end of the Soviet command economy, on which Belarus was very heavily dependent, led to a 50% drop in production between 1991 and 1994 and a corresponding fall in living standards. At the time of the 1994 election Belarus faced an economic crisis: the question was what to do about it. A planned economy is an economic system in which economic decisions are made by centralized planners, who determine what sorts of goods and services to produce, and how they are to be priced and allocated. ...

Lukashenko acted quickly to stabilize the economy: one of his first acts was doubling the minimum wage through increased supply of currency. He also reintroduced state control of prices and reversed the few economic reforms that had taken place. But he faced great problems in trying to revive a command economy in a country of 10.4 million surrounded by emerging capitalist economies.

During his first two years in power, Lukashenko faced an increasingly vocal domestic opposition. In 1995 the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund suspended lending money to Belarus, citing the government's lack of economic reform. The slow pace of market reforms in Belarus drew strong criticism from the opposition, to which Lukashenko reacted angrily. Logo of the World Bank The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD, in Romance languages: BIRD), better known as the World Bank, is an international organization whose original mission was to finance the reconstruction of nations devastated by WWII. Now, its mission has expanded to fight poverty by means... The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is an international organization that oversees the global financial system by observing exchange rates and balance of payments, as well as offering financial and technical assistance when requested. ...

In the summer of 1996, 70 deputies of the 199-member Belarusian parliament signed a petition to impeach Lukashenko on charges of violating the Constitution.[3] Lukashenko invited top Russian officials as "mediators" such as former Russian premier Viktor Chernomyrdin and managed to escape immediate impeachment with their support. Shortly after that a referendum was held on November 24, 1996, where 4 questions offered by Lukashenko and 3 questions offered by group of Parliament members were raised. Viktor Stepanovich Chernomyrdin (Russian: Ви́ктор Степа́нович Черномы́рдин) (born April 9, 1938) is a Russian politician. ... November 24 is the 328th day (329th on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ...

On November 25, it was announced that 70.5% of voters, on an 84% turnout, had approved the new version of constitution which give more power to the President. However, the United States and the European Union refused to accept the legitimacy of the referendum. [4] [5] November 25 is the 329th (in leap years the 330th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Lukashenko immediately used his new powers to close down the Belarusian parliament. Armed police took over the parliament building and locked out 89 deputies regarded by the government as "disloyal". A new parliament, made up of 110 hand-picked supporters of Lukashenko, was established in a building next door[citation needed]. His actions were widely condemned internationally by governments and human rights groups.

The Belarusian Prime Minister and two other ministers resigned in protest, as did seven of the eleven members of the Constitutional Court; they were replaced by Lukashenko supporters who promptly rejected the impeachment petition.

At the start of 1998, the Russian central bank suspended trading in the Belarusian ruble, which led to a collapse in the value of the currency. Lukashenko responded by taking control of the Belarus central bank, ordering the exchange rate to be set back to earlier levels, freezing bank accounts and curtailing the activities of commercial banks. This led to a run on Belarusian banks and a spate of panic buying.

He blamed foreign governments for conspiring against him, and in April 1998 he expelled ambassadors from the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Greece, Italy and Japan from their residential complex near Minsk, offering them another building. This caused an international outcry, as diplomatic residences are supposed to be strictly off limits under the terms of the Vienna Convention. The affronted countries all withdrew their ambassadors, as did, temporarily, Russia. Location Location of Minsk, shown within the Minsk Voblast Government Belarus District City Belarus Minsk Voblast Minsk City City 980 (Polatsk) Mayor Mikhail Pavlov Geographical characteristics Area  - City 256 km² Population  - City (2006) 1,780,000 Coordinates Elevation 280. ... Vienna can refer to: Geography Vienna - the capital and a federal state of Austria The River Vienna- a small river meeting the Danube at Vienna. ...

Although the ambassadors eventually returned after the controversy died down, Lukashenko stepped up his rhetorical attacks against the West and took to portraying his domestic opponents as stooges of hostile foreign powers. He claimed that Western governments were trying to undermine Belarus at all levels, including the economy (ejecting an International Monetary Fund delegation and labelling them "swindlers") and even sporting (claiming that Western countries were conspiring to defraud Belarus of medals in the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan). A runner carries the Olympic torch The Winter Olympic Games, Winter Olympics for short but more correctly The Olympic Winter Games, are the cold-weather counterpart to the Summer Olympic Games. ... Categories: Host cities of the Winter Olympic Games | Cities in Nagano Prefecture | Japan geography stubs ...

Lukashenko began to take a more active stance of supporting countries struggling against U.S. hegemony. The outbreak of the Kosovo War in 1999 led to Lukashenko proposing a "Slavic Union" of Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and Yugoslavia, an idea which received only lukewarm support and was quietly dropped. Following the Iraq war of 2003, the United States announced that several high-ranking Iraqi officials had been issued Belarusian passports. The term Kosovo War or Kosovo Conflict is often used to describe two sequential and at times parallel armed conflicts (a civil war followed by an international war) in the southern Serbian province called Kosovo (officially Kosovo and Metohia), part of the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. ... Combatants Coalition Forces: United States United Kingdom Poland Australia South Korea Romania Spain Portugal Italy others. ...

These policies led Western governments to take a tougher position against Lukashenko. The United States was particularly angered by Belarus's arms trade with the so-called "Axis of Evil" countries and American political leaders increasingly began to refer to Belarus as "Europe's last dictatorship", comparing Lukashenko with Yugoslavia ousted leader Slobodan Milošević. The European Union was concerned for the security of its gas supplies from Russia, which are piped through Belarus, and took an active interest in the country's affairs when the accession of Poland, Latvia and Lithuania gave the EU a lengthy border with Belarus. Bushs axis of evil includes Iran, Iraq, and North Korea (darker red). ... A dictatorship is an autocratic form of government in which the government is ruled by a dictator. ... Slobodan MiloÅ¡ević Slobodan MiloÅ¡ević   (IPA Serbian Cyrillic: Слободан Милошевић) (20 August 1941 – 11 March 2006) was President of Serbia and of Yugoslavia. ...

Second term (2001–2006)

Lukashenko meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin at an August 2005 CIS meeting.

Lukashenko's original five-year term of office ran out in July 1999 but had been extended to 2001 by the 1996 referendum. Elections were held on September 9, 2001, in which Lukashenko campaigned on a platform broadly similar to that of 1994: retention of the planned economy; a full merger with Russia but no Russian-style shock therapy; strong presidential rule to maintain social order; opposition to the enlargement of NATO and the West in general. His opponent was Uladzimir Ghancharyk. Image File history File links Lukashenko_Putin_August_2005. ... Image File history File links Lukashenko_Putin_August_2005. ... Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (Russian: ) (born October 7, 1952) is the incumbent President of Russia. ... September 9 is the 252nd day of the year (253rd in leap years). ... This article is about the year 2001. ... This box:      A planned economy is an economic system in which a single agency makes all decisions about the production and allocation of goods and services. ... In economics, shock therapy refers to the sudden release of price and currency controls, withdrawal of state subsidies, and immediate trade liberalization within a country. ... NATO 2002 Summit in Prague The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation[1] (NATO), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, the Atlantic Alliance or the Western Alliance, is an international organisation for collective security established in 1949, in support of the North Atlantic Treaty signed in Washington, DC, on 4 April 1949. ...

Lukashenko won in the first round in what was claimed to be a landslide victory. However, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe described the process as "failing to meet international standards" and human rights organisations reported that opposition supporters were systematically harassed, arbitrarily barred from standing as candidates or voting and were excluded from the state-run media. Western governments also criticised the elections. Russia, by contrast, publicly welcomed Lukashenko's re-election. Jane's Intelligence surmised that the price of Russian support for Lukashenko ahead of the presidential elections was the surrender of Minsk's control over its section of the Yamal-Europe gas pipeline.^[3] The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is an international organization for security. ... Janes Information Group (often referred to as Janes) was founded by John F.T. Jane in 1898. ... The Yamal-Europe natural gas pipeline is a 4,196-kilometer-long (2,607 mi) pipeline connecting natural gas fields on the Yamal peninsula, Russia, with Germany. ...

Lukashenko promotes himself as a "man of the people". Because of his style of rule, he is often informally referred to as bat'ka, which is literally translated as "dad", but the word has the meaning of "chieftain" in the history of the Slavic peoples. He was elected chairman of the Belarusian Olympic Committee, despite the IOC rules precluding high state officials from holding such a post. Father with child Daddy and Fatherhood redirect here. ... Countries inhabited predominantly by Slavic peoples The Slavic peoples are a linguistic and ethnic branch of Indo-European peoples, living mainly in Eastern Europe. ... The National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Belarus (Russian: Национальный олимпийский комитет Республики Беларусь) is one of many national Olympic committees that make up the International Olympic Committee. ... Bold textralf is gay IOC redirects here. ...

During a televised address to the nation on September 7, 2004 Lukashenko announced plans for a referendum on whether to eliminate presidential term limits. This was held on October 17, 2004, the same day as parliamentary elections, and according to official results was approved by 79.42% of voters. Previously, Lukashenko had been limited to two terms and thus would have been constitutionally required to step down after the presidential elections in 2006. September 7 is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years). ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... October 17 is the 290th day of the year (291st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Lukashenko with Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Teheran, November 2006

Opposition groups, the OSCE, EU, and US State Dept have accused state TV channels of pro-Lukashenko bias and transmitting pro-Lukashenko propaganda and election day polls at midday on October 17, although Belarusian law prohibits this. The opposition and western observers said that the vote was fraudulent. The OSCE mission said it "fell significantly short of international standards". CIS monitors on the other hand stated that vote was held without significant violations. Image File history File links Lukashenko_Ahmadinejad_2006. ... Image File history File links Lukashenko_Ahmadinejad_2006. ...   (Persian: ‎ ​, IPA: ), transcribed into English as Mahmud or Mahmood, Ahmadinezhad, Ahmadi-Nejad, Ahmadi Nejad, Ahmady Nejad) (born October 28, 1956) is the current president of the Islamic Republic of Iran. ... Tehran (also spelled Teheran) (تهران in Persian), population 8,000,000 (metropolitan: 10,000,000), is the capital of Iran and one of the major world cities. ... The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is an international organization for security. ... Headquarters Minsk, Belarus Member states 11 member states 1 associate member Working language Russian Executive Secretary Vladimir Rushailo Formation December 21, 1991 Official website http://cis. ...

Economic policy

Main article: Economy of Belarus

The Belarusian economy remains about 80% state-controlled, as it has been since Soviet times. The country is relatively stable economically, but depends to a large extent on raw material supplies from its close ally Russia. Industry and agriculture remain largely in state hands. Belarus is therefore one of the very few state-capitalistic national economies remaining. Agriculture is dominated by collective farming, with the major sub-sectors the cultivation of potatoes and cattle breeding. Historically important branches of industry include textiles and wood processing. After 1965, creation of heavy industry and mechanical engineering (tractors, refrigerators) significantly strengthened the country's development. Within the Soviet Union Belarus was one of the industrially most developed republics. Economically, Belarus engages itself in the Commonwealth of Independent States, Eurasian Economic Community and Union with Russia. After 1990, with the introduction of free market structures into the former Soviet Union, industrial production plunged. However, economic growth returned in 1996 and in 2001 Belarus was first of CIS coutries to reach 1990 levels of industrial production and agricultural production. Gross domestic product (GDP) for 2005 was $79.13 billion (estimate), which equates to an annual income of approximately $7,700 dollar per head. In 2005 GDP increased by about 8-9%, with the inflation rate averaging about 8%. Belarus therefore has the highest standard of living of all the CIS states. According to the UN, average monthly income grew from 20 United States dollars to 225 USD during the last 10 years. // Overview After the collapse of the Soviet Union all former Soviet republics faced a deep economic crisis. ... Tillage (American English), or cultivation (UK) is the agricultural preparation of the soil to receive seeds. ... Binomial name Solanum tuberosum L. The potato (Solanum tuberosum) is a perennial plant of the Solanaceae, or nightshade, family, commonly grown for its starchy tuber. ... In a draw in a mountainous region, a shepherd guides a flock of about 20 sheep amidst scrub and olive trees. ... Sunday textile market on the sidewalks of Karachi, Pakistan. ... Mechanical engineers design and build engines and power plants. ... It has been suggested that Freezer be merged into this article or section. ... Headquarters Minsk, Belarus Member states 11 member states 1 associate member Working language Russian Executive Secretary Vladimir Rushailo Formation December 21, 1991 Official website http://cis. ... Flag of EurAsEC The Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC or EAEC) was put into motion on 10 October 2000 when Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan signed the treaty. ... The Union of Russia and Belarus (Russian: Союз России и Беларуси, also called the Belarusian-Russian Union State) is a supranational entity comprising Russia and Belarus that was initiated by the latters president, Alexander Lukashenko. ... The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, and social equity. ... ISO 4217 Code USD User(s) the United States, the British Virgin Islands, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Panama, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the insular areas of the United States Inflation 3. ...

The unemployment rate, according to Belarusian government statistics, was about 2% in 2005. However, foreign experts have suggested that the real rate is probably higher. More controversial is the decision to abandon the Belarusian ruble (BYR) in favour of the Russian ruble (RUB), starting on January 1, 2008, according to Russian news agency ITAR-TASS.^[4] An 1837 political cartoon about unemployment in the United States. ... Belarusian ruble (ISO-code BYR, before 2000 - BYB) is the official currency of Belarus. ... ISO 4217 Code RUB User(s) Russia and self-proclaimed Abkhazia and South Ossetia Inflation 11% (Russian only) Source CIA World Fact Book, 2005 est. ... January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... 2008 (MMVIII) will be a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... ITAR-TASS (ИТАР-ТАСС), Information Telegraph Agency of Russia, is the major news agency of the Russian Federation. ...

International opposition

Lukashenko continues to face domestic opposition from a coalition of opposition groups bankrolled by the United States and Europe, although these have tended to be weak, divided, hampered by the government's restrictions and underfunded. The United States Congress has sought to aid the opposition groups by introducing a Belarus Democracy Act in 2001, 2002, 2003, and finally passing it in 2004 to introduce sanctions against Lukashenko's government and provide financial and other support to the opposition. This is modelled on the overt and covert support given to the opposition in Serbia, which successfully toppled President Slobodan Milošević in 2000. Lukashenko has been characteristically defiant, declaring that "there will be no Koštunica here" (a reference to Vojislav Koštunica, the Serb politician who replaced Milošević). Type Bicameral Houses Senate House of Representatives President of the Senate Dick Cheney, R, since January 20, 2001 Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, R, since January 6, 1999 Members 535 plus 4 Delegates and 1 Resident Commissioner Political groups (as of January 4, 2005 elections) Democratic Party Republican Party... Belarus Democracy Act of 2004, signed by President George W. Bush and passed unanimously by the U.S. Congress on October 4, 2004 authorizes assistance for Belarusian political parties, non-governmental organizations, and independent media working for democracy and human rights. ... Anthem: Bože pravde (English: God of Justice) Capital (and largest city) Belgrade Serbian written with the Cyrillic alphabet1 Government Republic  - Prime Minister Vojislav KoÅ¡tunica  - President Boris Tadić Establishment    - Formation 814   - First Serbian Uprising 1804   - Internationally recognized July 13, 1878   - Kingdom of SCS created December 1, 1918   - SCG dissolved... Slobodan MiloÅ¡ević Slobodan MiloÅ¡ević   (IPA Serbian Cyrillic: Слободан Милошевић) (20 August 1941 – 11 March 2006) was President of Serbia and of Yugoslavia. ... Dr. Vojislav KoÅ¡tunica   (Serbian: Војислав Коштуница) (pronounced , born March 24, 1944, Belgrade, Serbia) is the current Prime Minister of Serbia. ...

2006 presidential election

Main article: Belarusian presidential election, 2006

In October 2005 Lukashenko confirmed his intent to seek a third term in office. In 2006 the liberal and nationalist opposition rallied around Alexander Milinkevich. The elections for the position of president of Belarus took place on March 19, 2006. ... Alaksandr Milinkievič (Аляксандар Мілінкевіч in Belarusian, born 1947) is a Belarusian politician. ...

On March 19, 2006 exit polls showed Lukashenko winning a third term in a landslide, amid opposition claims of vote-rigging and fear of violence. The EcooM organization gave Lukashenko 84.2% of the vote and Milinkevich just 2 percent, while the Belarusian Committee of Youth Organizations, gave Lukashenko 84.2% and Milinkevich 3.1 percent. The Gallup Organization has noted that EcooM and the Belarusian Committee of Youth Organizations are government-controlled and both released their exit poll results before noon on election day, although voting stations closed at 8 p.m. [6] March 19 is the 78th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (79th in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Belarus authorities vowed to crush unrest in the event of large-scale protests following the election (such as those that marked the Orange Revolution in Ukraine). Despite that, the crowd of demonstrators rallying after the election was the biggest the opposition had mustered in years, with nightly protests and demonstrations in Minsk. The turnout at the biggest protest on election night was about 10,000 according to AP reporters' estimates [7] Orange-clad supporters of Viktor Yushchenko gather in Independence Square in Kiev. ... The Associated Press, or AP, is an American news agency, the worlds largest such organization. ...

Opposition leaders called for another demonstration to be carried out on March 25. Several thousand people gathered in the center of Minsk, where Milinkevich and Kozulin made a speech about political situation in the country. March 25 is the 84th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (85th in leap years). ...

Election observers from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) differed on the Belarus vote (see [8]). Headquarters Minsk, Belarus Member states 11 member states 1 associate member Working language Russian Executive Secretary Vladimir Rushailo Formation December 21, 1991 Official website http://cis. ... The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is an international organization for security. ...

The OSCE declared on March 20, 2006 that the "presidential election failed to meet OSCE commitments for democratic elections." The OSCE stated that Lukashenko "permitted State authority to be used in a manner which did not allow citizens to freely and fairly express their will at the ballot box," and concluded that "a pattern of intimidation and the suppression of independent voices . . . was evident throughout the campaign." [9] The CIS observers, in constrast, declared the Belarus presidential election open and transparent. The Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs declared, "Long before the elections, the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights had declared that they [the elections] would be illegitimate and it was pretty biased in its commentaries on their progress and results, thus playing an instigating role".

References

October 13 is the 286th day of the year (287th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... Janes Information Group (often referred to as Janes) was founded by John F.T. Jane in 1898. ... January 11 is the 11th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 26 is the 85th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (86th in leap years). ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Alexander Lukashenko

• President's official site
• BBC - Profile: Alexander Lukashenko
• Statement at the 60th Session of the UN General Assembly