Elections in authoritarian Belarus have long been only a simulacrum of democracy. But this year, the country’s presidential vote is turning into a moment of public awakening for Belarus’ youth.
The two main candidates are President Alexander Lukashenko, who has clung to power since 1994, and opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, a stay-at-home mom who has unexpectedly become the biggest threat to Lukashenko in 26 years.
Tens of thousands of Belarusians have taken to the streets in cities across their country to support Tikhanovskaya. And that energy isn’t confined to Belarus.
In Kyiv, hundreds of young Belarusians lined up for hours in front of their country’s embassy to cast their vote in the Aug. 9 presidential election. They have no illusions that the result will be anything short of fraudulent, but still want to make their voices heard.
Confectioner Alisa Mikulina waits in line to vote in the Belarusian presidential election in Kyiv on Aug. 9, 2020. (Volodymyr Petrov)
“We’re sick and tired of this and we are here because we want change,” says confectioner Alisa Mikulina, who has been standing in line for over two hours to vote.
The impatient voters say that the embassy is deliberately slowing down the vote to keep people from supporting the opposition.
Back home, voters face even more obstacles. The government has shut down the internet in Minsk and brought the army in to suppress a potential uprising against the government.
Public awakening
Even before election day, many Belarusians had already deemed the vote unfair.
In the runup to the election, two main opposition candidates — banker Viktor Babariko and blogger Sergei Tikhanovsky – were jailed. The third candidate, Valery Tsepkalo, Belarus’ former ambassador to the United States, was forced to flee the country, fearing prosecution.
Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, the wife of Sergei, registered in her husband’s place. She was allowed to run, but her campaign faced obstruction by local authorities. They prevented her from holding rallies, and people who showed public support for her were jailed and fined.
Despite the broad understanding that Belarus’ election will not be fair, Belarusians in Kyiv were still ready to vote and show their support for change.
Homemaker Elena Kolovskaya waits in line for a chance to vote in the Belarusian presidential election in Kyiv on Aug. 9, 2020. (Volodymyr Petrov)
“I came from Turkey specifically to vote,” says homemaker Elena Kolovskaya. “We want changes to happen in our country.”
“We don’t want to be afraid,” she adds.
Still, Kolovskaya says she does not believe her vote will change anything.
Belarusian citizens began gathering outside their embassy, located on a quiet street in downtown Kyiv, at around 9 a.m. Many had to wait for up to five hours to be able to cast their ballots.
“They have only one voting booth in the far corner of the embassy,” says Timur Svets, a construction worker who has been waiting in the line for hours. “It’s sabotage. They don’t want us to vote.”
Construction worker Timur Svets waits in line for a chance to vote in the Belarusian presidential election in Kyiv on Aug. 9, 2020. (Volodymyr Petrov)
“My vote won’t be counted (fairly), but I must vote. It’s my civic duty,” he adds.
With hardly an exception, those in line expressed dissatisfaction with Lukashenko’s rule. Many decided to come to the embassy because they felt it was the first time their presence could actually make a difference.
Valeria Ostroverkhaya, who works in a Kyiv beauty salon, waits in line near the Embassy of Belarus in Kyiv for a chance to vote in the Belarusian presidential election on Aug. 9, 2020. (Volodymyr Petrov)
“I’m voting for the first time, and I’m here only because I want Lukashenko out,” says Valeria Ostroverkhaya, who works in a Kyiv beauty salon.
“I don’t know whether it will be better or worse (without him), but I simply want someone new. Only change can lead to something better.”
Most of the people in line were too young to vote when Lukashenko came to power in 1994, the first and only fair election in Belarus’ post-Soviet history, according to the European Union. Only a few people waiting to vote were over 45.
Many said they didn’t vote in previous elections because they knew their vote wouldn’t count. Now they say it’s different.
Belarusian journalist Vladislav Papanov says he boycotted the previous elections, since he didn’t want to participate in what he calls a “scheme.” This time around, Papanov says boycotting isn’t an option.
Belarusian journalist Vladislav Papanov waits in line for a chance to vote in the Belarusian presidential election in Kyiv on Aug. 9, 2020. (Volodymyr Petrov)
“It’s important to show that many people came and voted (for change),” says Papanov while waiting in line.
He predicts the official results won’t look anything like how people actually voted.
“(Then) it will all depend on Minsk and whether the people rise up (in protest),” he said.
Dirty election
Meanwhile in Belarus, the authorities are getting ready for protests. Internet in downtown Minsk is currently limited and military forces and vehicles have deployed to the city center.
Belarusians believe these measures are a response to the opposition’s plan to hold a rally right after polling places close at 8 p.m.
“Exactly at 3 p.m., we saw a huge decline in viewers from Belarus. The internet is gradually shutting down in Minsk and regions,” Belarusian journalist Franak Viacorka wrote on Twitter.
He also reported that the army had entered Minsk.
The Kyiv Post was able to confirm Viacorka’s statements through Belarusian journalists working in the capital. Many now cannot easily report due to the limited internet connection.
Before the blackout, supporters of the opposition had used the internet to uncover and report fraud committed on election day — photographing, video recording and sharing falsified ballots, election observers prevented from observing and more.
Prior to the vote, Tikhanovskaya joined forces with the campaigns of Tsepkalo and Babariko, who were banned from running for president. Tikhanovskaya, Valery Tsepkalo’s wife Veronika and Viktor Babariko’s campaign chief Maria Kolesnikova — who have become the faces of the opposition movement — urged Belarusians to vote and register on the Golos (Voice) online platform, which will be used to conduct a parallel vote count.
Belarusian prosecutors proposed banning the Golos platform, claiming that it aimed to undermine the official election commission and was therefore illegal. After the internet was shut down in Minsk, Belarusian journalists reported that they had lost access to Golos.
Additionally, those opposition leaders not jailed prior to election day are facing growing pressure from the authorities.
Veronika Tsepkalo was forced to flee the country on Aug. 9, fearing prosecution. Her husband and children left Belarus two weeks prior for the same reasons.
