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Opposition protests have followed recent arrests of government critics in Belarus.
Protests have erupted in Belarus, with hundreds of protests against the ban on two main opposition candidates in next month’s presidential election.
The Belarusian electoral commission rejected requests from the main rivals of President Alexander Lukashenko, Valery Tsepkalo and Viktor Babaryko.
In office since 1994, Mr. Lukashenko is virtually certain to win the poll.
The commission’s decision was followed by protests in the capital, Minsk and other cities.
The protests were largely peaceful in Minsk, where protesters broke into applause, as passing drivers honked their horn in support.
“We are categorically for honest and fair elections,” a protester in the capital told Reuters news agency.
There were also reports of other protests in the cities of Grodno, Gomel and Brest, with images posted on social media.
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People in passing cars expressed their support for the protests.
More than 35 people, including several journalists, were arrested during the protests, the Viasna human rights group said.
The protests were the latest show of discontent against the government following arrests of opposition figures ahead of the August 9 elections.
Why were opposition candidates excluded?
On Tuesday, the electoral commission said it found problems with requests from Tsepkalo and Babaryko, both vocal critics of Lukashenko.
Babaryko, who was seen as Lukashenko’s strongest contender, was excluded from the ballot due to a criminal case against him, the commission said.
The ex-banker’s arrest last month on suspicion of money laundering brought angry crowds to the street, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called his arrest “politically motivated.”
- President Lukashenko’s rival arrested before the elections
The other challenger, the former ambassador to the United States, Mr. Tsepkalo, was rejected for failing to gather the 10,000 signatures necessary to stand for election, the commission said.
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Human rights groups say several dozen people were arrested by the police in the protests
Tsepkalo and Babaryko say they plan to appeal against the ruling.
The European Union delegation in Belarus said the commission’s decision “undermines the general integrity and democratic nature of the elections.”
What is the background of the decision?
The commission’s decision comes at a time of increased pressure on government critics as the August elections approach.
Lukashenko has been accused of silencing his critics, while seeking a sixth term.
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Opposition activists, journalists and bloggers have reportedly been arrested in recent weeks.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), an international monitor of elections, has not recognized any election in Belarus as free and fair since 1995.
Meanwhile, the coronavirus pandemic continues to wreak havoc in Belarus, which has officially registered more than 65,000 cases and nearly 500 deaths to date.
Lukashenko, who initially denied that the virus was spreading in the country, has been criticized for not imposing a stricter blockade.
BBC Moscow correspondent Sarah Rainsford said recent protests have revealed growing discontent with Lukashenko’s authoritarian government, her refusal to take Covid-19 seriously and the poor state of the country’s economy.
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