Belarus elections: Lukashenko dismisses female presidency
Belarus's presidential elections are set to take place in January 2025. On Thursday, Lukashenko was asked whether a woman could hold this office in the country. The response was short: "God forbid."
On January 26, presidential elections are expected to take place in Belarus. No one is under any illusion that, in reality, this will be a re-election of Lukashenko, who has held this position for 30 years. For example, no independent candidate has been allowed to participate in the elections, only six "stooges"—individuals connected to the regime and the dictator himself.
During Thursday's press conference, Lukashenko was asked by a journalist from the BelTA agency whether a woman could become president in Belarus (among the allowed candidates are two women—editor's note). The self-proclaimed president's response was decisive. "God forbid that a woman is elected president in Belarus," he replied.
"It is not a ceremonial position"
"The US president has different powers; there are nuances. The Belarusian president is also the commander-in-chief . Besides, it’s a tough job. No need to give a woman so much work, it’s not a ceremonial position. Maybe that’s the style we will adopt eventually. But for now it’s different," said Lukashenko.
"I bow down to women, I do not belittle their role at all. But they have to remain near [men]," he added.
Recall that there were mass protests in Belarus after the presidential elections in 2020. The participants demanded an honest count of votes cast for candidates. According to an independent exit poll conducted abroad, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya was expected to receive 71 percent of the votes, and Alexander Lukashenko 10 percent. Meanwhile, according to the Belarusian Public Opinion Research Centre, the elections were won by Lukashenko, receiving 79.7 percent, and Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, 6.8 percent.
