Issue and Opponent: President Alexander Lukashenko has ruled Belarus for 26 years by using several tricks and tactics to remain in power. The arrests of several opposition candidates have been a popular tactic under Lukashenko to cling to power in the country. Lukashenko has compared opposition candidates to criminal gangs and has even accused them of stoking tensions elsewhere. It is a widely held belief that opposition candidates should be able to run for president without being arrested or accused of false allegations.
Dilemma Action: With the help of Sergei Tikhanovsky, the narrative of President Lukashenko has shifted from him being viewed as a father figure to being viewed as a cockroach. For many, the president represents a cockroach that must be squashed out with slippers. Protesters have arrived to protests with slippers to swat the president out of power and sign the forms of several opposition candidates in Minsk, Belarus’s capital. Some participants waited for hours in long lines, with slippers in their hands, to give their signatures to opposition candidates.
Outcome: In more than 10 cities across Belarus dozens of activists were arrested by security forces, with at least 120 people detained. Lukashenko ultimately won the presidential election, with 80% of votes going to him, but only after arresting several opposition candidates. Sergei Tikhanovsky was arrested, along with several others, who had nearly reached the 100,000 signatures needed to run against Lukashenko. Though Lukashenko remains in power, the narrative of his administration has changed. His recent presidential win was met with heavy skepticism and the outcome was widely disputed.