BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

08/04/2006

Belarus President Wins Third Term

Minsk, Apr 8 (Prensa Latina) Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko assumes his third consecutive term in office Saturday with 83 percent support, defeating unprecedented US and European hostility.

Lukashenko, 51-year-old historian and economist, was elected to the Supreme Soviet of the Republic in 1990 and chair of the congressional anti-Corruption Committee.

He won the 1994 elections with 80 percent, over five rivals amid a severe economic and political crisis accelerated by the Soviet Union's demise, and achieved his second term in September 2001 with 75.5 percent support.

Political analysts generally praise the success of the president?s post-Soviet political career, while the West labels him "the last European dictator."

Lukashenko defeated his three contenders this time by over 60 percent, while the choice of the West, Alexander Milinkevic, had 6.1, Serguei Gaydukevich (3.5) and Alexander Kozulin (2.2).

Lukashenko's success lies in his divorce from Moscow traditions, his disagreement with splitting the world into circles of power, and choosing to settle conflicts peacefully.

His priorities since his first term have been improving general living standards and strengthening Belarus' economic, technical and scientific potential.

His foreign policy relies on friendly ties with every country and close relations with the Community of Independent States, the UN, NAM and Russia.

Lukashenko backs a firm multilateral integration with Europe, based on equality and shared address to common problems, such as AIDS, drugs, health, poverty, unemployment, education and security.

Source:

http://www.plenglish.com/article.asp?ID=%7B623FA4BD-5022-4261-B41F-EBB10865392E%7D)&language=EN

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