United States condemns Belarus election: Held in fear, cannot be considered democratic

The United States condemns the "shameful" parliamentary and local elections held on Sunday in Belarus, the State Department said.

"The election was held under fear and no electoral process conducted in such a climate can be considered democratic," Department spokesman Mathew Miller said in a statement.

The process is expected to strengthen the power of authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko, despite opposition calls for a boycott.

President Lukashenko has been running Belarus with an iron hand for almost three decades. He announced on Sunday that he would run again in next year's election for the post of president. He accuses the West of trying to use the election to undermine his government and create instability in the country of 9.5 million people.

Most of the candidates belong to four parties registered in the election that support Lukasheko's policies. Last year about 12 other parties refused to register to take part in the elections.

The election is the first since the 2020 vote that gave Lukashenko a sixth term, sparking widespread protests in the country.