The presidential election of Belarus in January 2025: date, candidates and forecasts
In January 2025, on the 26th, the next presidential election will be held in Belarus. On Monday, December 23, the CEC officially registered five candidates for the main state post during a meeting. Among them is the current President Alexander Lukashenko. For more information about the procedure for the election of the President of Belarus, candidates and forecast, see the Izvestia article.
When will the presidential elections of Belarus be held in 2025
The earlier date of the vote is due to the fact that it is in 2025 that the implementation of the five-year plan for the socio-economic development of the country ends. About this told the head of the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Belarus Igor Karpenko. Because of this, he said, it is necessary to analyze the results, as well as determine the course of the country's development and the main directions of its domestic and foreign policy. The key role is played by the president.
The choice of the voting date was influenced by the presence of Belarusians in cities: it was noted that at this time the least number of people go on vacation or to the country, while local authorities are not as busy as in spring and summer, and educational institutions (where polling stations are often located) are not yet busy preparing for the new academic year..
Presidential candidates of Belarus – 2025
The CEC has already completed the registration of candidates for the post of President of the republic. A total of seven people were registered, but two later withdrew their candidacies. In this regard, five people will participate in the elections on January 26:
— Alexander Lukashenko, the current president of the country;
— Oleg Gaidukevich, Chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party;
- Alexander Khizhnyak, leader of the Labor and Justice Party;
— Anna Kanopatskaya, Deputy of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly;
— Sergey Syrankov, leader of the Communist Party.
President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko
To be nominated as a candidate for the post of president, a participant must collect at least 100,000 signatures of voters. The candidate must also be a citizen of Belarus over the age of 40 and have permanently resided in the country for at least 20 years. The post of President of Belarus cannot be held by persons who (now and before) have the citizenship of a foreign state or a residence permit, as well as citizens with a criminal record.
How will the presidential elections in Belarus be held in 2025
Citizens of Belarus who have reached the age of 18 by election day have the right to vote. In order to participate in the voting, citizens registered at the polling station will need a Belarusian passport. It is also allowed to vote using a student, pension, or military ID, driver's license, or other identity documents.
Citizens also have the right to cast their vote early — from January 21 to January 25.
Persons who have been declared legally incompetent by a court and who are being held in places of deprivation of liberty or in custody by a court verdict have no right to participate in elections.
The last elections in the country, which took place in 2020, were accompanied by protests. People who disagreed with the election results took to the streets, and citizens' discontent resulted in mass protests across the country.
As Alexander Rudoy, an expert at the GUU Office for International Cooperation, noted in a comment to Izvestia, although the opposition has defined its strategy for the upcoming elections as voting against everyone, it is not worth waiting for any active actions on their part. Protests after the elections, he said, are also unlikely.
Ilya Margolin, a political strategist and publicist, agrees with this opinion. As he noted to Izvestia, people understand the value of peace and order, and attempts to provoke instability are perceived by society as threats that run counter to its interests.
Forecast: who will win the presidential election in Belarus
Official polls on who will win the presidential election in Belarus in January were not published at the time of the article's publication, but experts interviewed by Izvestia are confident that Alexander Lukashenko will win again.
Alexander Rudoy recalled that two of the registered candidates had already withdrawn their candidacies and called on citizens to vote for the current president. According to the expert, they did this, referring to the need to rally around the president "in a difficult time."
According to Ilya Margolin, the upcoming elections will confirm the high level of support for Alexander Lukashenko, who has been ensuring the stability and independence of Belarus for many years.
— In difficult international conditions, his policy allowed the country to maintain sovereignty, establish economic ties with partners and strengthen domestic development. The Belarusian people appreciate these efforts, which is reflected in the president's continued popularity. His victory will be a logical result of the current situation and the desire of citizens to see a confident continuation of the course towards prosperity," the expert believes.
When will the results of the presidential election in Belarus be released
The results of the election of the President of the Republic of Belarus will be determined by the CEC. They must be published no later than February 5, 2025, that is, 10 days after the election. If none of the candidates wins more than 50% of the votes, a second round of elections will be called. In 2025, it may be held on February 9, and two presidential candidates who have gained more support will take part.
