Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has announced that he will not run for another term, ending decades of speculation about his political future. Speaking to TIME magazine on Friday, the 70-year-old leader also rejected rumours that he plans to hand over power to his son, Nikolai.
Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has led Belarus since the country’s independence in 1994. Known for his authoritarian style, he has often faced criticism from Western governments and rights groups. In January, he was re-elected for a seventh consecutive five-year term.
In the interview, Lukashenko said his successor would continue developing the nation and avoid “revolutionary breakdown.” He stressed that he is not grooming his son for leadership, saying, “No, he is not a successor… ask him yourself, he may be offended.”
The Belarusian leader has faced major political challenges in recent years. In 2020, he crushed mass protests after opponents accused him of rigging the election. Many opposition figures were jailed or forced into exile. While hundreds of detainees have since been freed, some remain behind bars. Lukashenko denies the existence of political prisoners in Belarus.
He claimed he was ready to step down in the last election but stayed on because “the people wanted” him to continue. In 2012, he famously called himself “the last and only dictator in Europe.”
Born in 1954, Lukashenko previously served in the Soviet Army and worked as a state farm director before entering politics. He was elected to the Supreme Soviet of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1990, later heading an anti-corruption committee. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, he won the presidency in 1994 and has remained in power for over 30 years.
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