Presidential elections were held in
Belarus
Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...
on 23 June 1994, with a second round on 10 July. They were the first national elections held in Belarus since the
country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...
seceded from the
Soviet Union
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
three years earlier. The result was an overwhelming victory for
Alexander Lukashenko
Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko (also transliterated as Alyaksandr Ryhoravich Lukashenka; born 30 August 1954) is a Belarusian politician who has been the first and only president of Belarus since the office's establishment in 1994, making hi ...
, who received 81% of the vote in the second round. Voter turnout was 79% in the first round and 71% in the second.
Background
On 15 March 1994 the
Supreme Council adopted the
Constitution of Belarus, which made Belarus a democracy with a
presidential system
A presidential, strong-president, or single-executive system (sometimes also congressional system) is a form of government in which a head of government (usually titled " president") heads an executive branch that derives its authority and l ...
. Until the ratification of the constitution, Chairman of the Supreme Council
Myechyslaw Hryb had effectively ruled as both the head of state and head of the parliament. On 6 April the Central Commission of the Republic of Belarus for Elections and Referendums established a timeline for the first presidential election, which outlined the role of local initiative groups in nominating candidates.
Candidates
Six candidates who were recognized by the government to have received the most signatures from Belarusian citizens and to have received substantial support from initiative group members became eligible to contest the first round.
Campaign
Prime Minister Vyacheslav Kebich's campaign was bolstered by the apparat of the Supreme Council and open support from Russia, but his initial popular support dwindled following excessive coverage of his candidacy in government-sponsored media.
This controversy, in addition to widespread dissatisfaction with his economic reforms,
contributed to his defeat in the second round of voting.
Zianon Pazniak, the head of the Belarusian Popular Front, was the strongest proponent of a free-market economy out of all of the candidates. His support for a revitalized Belarusian identity that centered around the primary of the Belarusian culture and language led some opponents to criticize him for being too nationalistic.
Vasily Novikov, the Secretary of the Central Committee of the Party of Belarusian Communists, advocated for a return to
collectivization
Collective farming and communal farming are various types of "agricultural production in which multiple farmers run their holdings as a joint enterprise". There are two broad types of communal farms: agricultural cooperatives, in which member- ...
and an end to the process of privatization that had begun following Belarusian independence from the Soviet Union.
Alexander Lukashenko released his campaign platform entitled "To Lead the People Away from the Abyss" on 14 June in the ''
Narodnaya Gazeta'', the state newspaper that was run by the Supreme Council. His populist agenda outlined price stabilization, independence of the
National Bank, and government austerity programs. A central promise of his campaign was to crush high-level corruption. Responding to criticism that he had no candidates for the position of Prime Minister, he reportedly stated that it was "easier than finding a milkman".
He also described a system of guaranteed welfare for vulnerable citizens that would be supported by progressive taxation. Regarding his foreign policy positions, Lukashenko expressed his desire to improve the international standing of Belarus, as well as to restore ties with
Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
and
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
.
Stanislav Shushkevich, the former Chairman of the Supreme Council, centered his campaign around his role in achieving Belarusian independence from the Soviet Union and subsequent reforms despite substantial communist opposition in the Supreme Council.
He also expressed his support for a reduction in the state's role in moderating the economy. Prior to his tenure as Chairman, Shushkevich had also been a vocal critic of the Soviet Union's response to the
Chernobyl disaster
On 26 April 1986, the no. 4 reactor of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, located near Pripyat, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union (now Ukraine), exploded. With dozens of direct casualties, it is one of only ...
and its
effects
Effect may refer to:
* A result or change of something
** List of effects
** Cause and effect, an idiom describing causality
Pharmacy and pharmacology
* Drug effect, a change resulting from the administration of a drug
** Therapeutic effect, ...
on Belarus.
Alaksandar Dubko, the Chairman of the Union of Agrarians, was vocal in his support for
collectivization
Collective farming and communal farming are various types of "agricultural production in which multiple farmers run their holdings as a joint enterprise". There are two broad types of communal farms: agricultural cooperatives, in which member- ...
in order to appeal to both agrarians and the peasantry.
Opinion polling
According to a poll conducted by Eridan a week prior to the election, Lukashenko was predicted to lead with 21%, with Kebich at 17.3%, Pozniak at 11.6%, and Shushkevich at 9.9%.
A poll conducted by Belarusian pollster
NISEPI several months after the elections indicated that Lukashenko secured 80% of the vote in the second round among those who participated in the election. During the first round, his support was at 44.6% among Belarusian speakers and 27.6% among Russian speakers.
Conduct
During the election, Lukashenko claimed that he had been the target of a failed assassination attempt.
This claim was disputed by the
Belarusian KGB despite police reports detailing an attempted car ramming of Lukashenko's vehicle followed by gunshots.
After the first round, both
Interfax
Interfax () is a Russian news agency. The agency is owned by Interfax News Agency joint-stock company and is headquartered in Moscow.
History
As the first non-governmental channel of political and economic information about the USSR, Interfax ...
and
Agence France-Presse
Agence France-Presse (; AFP) is a French international news agency headquartered in Paris, France. Founded in 1835 as Havas, it is the world's oldest news agency.
With 2,400 employees of 100 nationalities, AFP has an editorial presence in 260 c ...
reported that a grenade had been thrown at the Belarusian secretary for national security.
Results
Maps
File:Выбары Прэзыдэнта Беларусі 1994. Пераможцы па раёнах.png, First round results
File:Прэзідэнцкія выбары ў Беларусі (1994). Першы тур. Аляксандр Лукашэнка.svg, First round votes for Lukashenko
File:Прэзідэнцкія выбары ў Беларусі (1994). Першы тур. Вячаслаў Кебіч.svg, First round votes for Kebich
File:Прэзідэнцкія выбары ў Беларусі (1994). Першы тур. Зянон Пазняк.svg, First round votes for Pazniak
File:Прэзідэнцкія выбары ў Беларусі (1994). Першы тур. Станіслаў Шушкевіч.svg, First round votes for Shushkevich
Aftermath
Lukashenko's victory was a surprise to many, as Prime Minister Vyacheslav Kebich had widely been expected to win by international observers despite extremely close polling results between the two candidates.
Regardless, the outcome of the election was recognized as legitimate by the international community. Furthermore, the
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe expressed its view that Lukashenko's tenure as President would be a step towards a "more pluralistic democracy and free market system" in Belarus.
Upon his victory, Lukashenko pledged there would be "no dictatorship." He was inaugurated as president on July 20. A
1995 referendum resulted in Lukashenko gaining the power to dissolve parliament, as well as restoring modified Soviet-era state symbols and initiating closer ties with Russia. In 1996 Lukashenko began further consolidating his authority with
another referendum approving reforms that dramatically increased his powers and extended his original five-year term to
2001
The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
, after which he continued to win additional terms. As a result, the 1994 presidential election is considered the only free election held in Belarus since it broke away from the Soviet Union.
Profile: Europe's last dictator?
BBC News, 10 September 2001
Notes
References
Bibliography
{{Belarusian elections
Presidential elections in Belarus
Belarus
Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Film and television
*'' Præsident ...