Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has declared his plans to run for re-election next year, potentially extending his grip on the country for 36 years. Lukashenko's announcement came amidst tightly controlled parliamentary and local elections, which the opposition has labelled as a "senseless farce". The elections, which started on Tuesday and are set to end on Sunday, are the first nationwide vote since the controversial 2020 presidential election that led to widespread protests against Lukashenko.

The US has condemned the recent elections in Belarus, denouncing them as "sham" and lacking democratic credibility. The outcome of the current elections is expected to further solidify Lukashenko's authoritarian rule in Belarus. Opposition leader Svetlana Tsikhanouskaya, who is currently in exile in Lithuania, has urged voters to boycott the poll, claiming that the candidates on the ballot do not offer real change and are merely puppets of the regime.

The majority of candidates in the elections belong to four pro-regime parties, including Belaya Rus, the Communist Party, the Liberal Democratic Party, and the Party of Labor and Justice, all of which support Lukashenko's policies. Several other parties were denied registration last year, further limiting political diversity in the country. Lukashenko has warned of no tolerance for any form of rebellion following the protests that erupted after the 2020 election.

The recent crackdown on dissent in Belarus includes a series of raids orchestrated by the KGB security service targeting the families of political prisoners. According to the human rights group Viasna, there are currently 1,419 political detainees in Belarusian jails, including prominent rights advocate Ales Bialiatski, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022. Lukashenko's announcement of his intention to seek re-election has sparked concerns among the opposition and international community, who view the current electoral process as a means to further entrench his autocratic rule.