Presidential elections, protests, and the pandemic: How will Belarus look after August 9th? 🎬

Moderation: ·

  • Marylia Hushcha, research assistant at the IIP

Panelists:

  • Katerina Bornukova, Academic Director of BEROC Economic Research Center, MBA professor at the IPM Business School in Minsk, consultant for the World Bank

  • Ryhor Astapenia, Robert Bosch Stiftung Academy Fellow, Chatham House; Research Director, Centre for New Ideas

  • Artyom Shraibman, founder of Sense Analytics, contributor for TUT.BY and Carnegie.ru

Content:

Presidential elections in Belarus are scheduled for August 9th this year. While the Central Electoral Commission has yet to announce officially registered candidates, two of the most prospective alternative ‘candidates for candidates’ are already in prison. Peaceful protests have been taking place around the country, with violent detentions of demonstrators by the security forces widespread. While political repression by the state authorities has accompanied virtually every presidential campaign in Belarus starting from the early 2000s, this time the demand for change comes from a broader range of society and is much more pronounced than ever before. This is not least due to the serious economic downturn and the government’s mishandling of the covid-19 pandemic.

During the discussion, the panelists will report on ongoing developments in the electoral process in Belarus and reflect on the challenges this presidential campaign poses for the current regime, opportunities and obstacles for alternative political forces, economic hardships for the population, the effects of the pandemic, and the role of external actors, in what looks like a changing political situation in the country.