Belarus: Lukashenko confident of 4th term

15/12/10 14:43 CET

world news

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Early voting is underway in Belarus where the man once called ‘Europe’s last dictator’ is expected to easily win a fourth term as president.

If past performances are anything to go by, there appears little point in the other nine candidates taking part as Alexander Lukashenko could end up with 80 percent of the vote.

The former Soviet republic has been run as a command economy since 1994 when the 56-year old Lukashenko came to power.

His penchant for jailing his opponents and muzzling the media has drawn stern criticism from the West.

And in Moscow, even President Medvedev has accused him of abandoning ‘basic human decency’ in his hunger for more power.

The election proper is on Sunday.

More about: Alexander Lukashenko, Belarus

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