Lukashenko claims no successor, says he was urged to run for election
Photo: Alexander Lukashenko (Getty Images)
The leader of the Belarusian regime, Alexander Lukashenko, stated that he allegedly did not want to run for office, but was persuaded to do so. He complained that there is no replacement for him, according to Zerkalo.
"We all understand that I am not eternal. I can say – I didn’t want to run in these elections," Lukashenko claimed.
According to him, it was allegedly the Chairwoman of the Council of the National Assembly of Belarus, Natalia Kochanova, who persuaded him to participate in the so-called presidential elections. Afterward, Lukashenko supposedly decided to run again.
"How long can it go on? I’ve been in power for 30 years. Even just outwardly, it somehow seems improper, I no longer feel at home, as if there's no one else," said the Belarusian dictator.
During the press conference, Lukashenko was asked how the voting could be free and fair, considering that all major opposition leaders are either in prison or have fled the country.
"Some chose prison, some chose exile. We didn’t expel anyone from the country. Moreover, we opened the country. We are not vindictive people, we are not malicious," he replied.
Lukashenko claims that no one is prevented from expressing their opinion in Belarus, but, according to him, those who end up in prison are the ones who break the law.
"Elections" in Belarus
On January 26, Belarus is holding its so-called presidential "elections." Alexander Lukashenko, who has been in power for 30 years, is running for his seventh term.
The last elections in 2020 ended in protests, as the results were falsified. Many opposition politicians ended up behind bars, and opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya fled Belarus.
The European Union has stated that it considers the "elections" in Belarus to be fraudulent, and Lukashenko to be illegitimate.
