Belarus: an autocracy quashing all opposition

Since 1994, President Alexander Lukashenko has effectively stifled all dissent in Belarus, and his 'Belaya Rus' party is de facto the only valid political force in Minsk. In the short term, the splintered political opposition is unlikely to pose a serious challenge to Lukashenko, who can expect to be re-elected in the presidential elections later this year, despite the country's financial woes and a looming risk of political unrest.