Amid Lackluster Presidential Race, Boycott Campaign Brings Out Big Crowd In Belarus

It’s been a humdrum presidential election campaign in Belarus.

Serious contenders have been sidelined and authoritarian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka, in office for more than two decades, is expected to easily secure a fifth term.

The campaign’s unexpected highlight came on September 23, when opposition leader Mikalay Statkevich urged voters to stay away from the poll on October 11 during a rare unsanctioned protest.

Hundreds of supporters flocked to downtown Minsk to hear Statkevich, who denounced the absence of any prominent opposition figure in the vote.