Alexander Lukashenko

Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko (Lukashenka) (Russian: ????????? ??????????? ?????????, Belarusian: ??????????? ?????????? ??????????, Alaksandar Ryhoravi? ?uka?enka) (born August 30, 1954) is the current President of Belarus. First elected in 1994, his rule has been controversial: his supporters argue that his policies have spared Belarus the worst effects of post-Soviet capitalism, while his opponents, at home and abroad, accuse him of being dictatorial. Lukashenko's external and internal policies have led Belarus to be barred from joining the Council of Europe.

Early career (to 1994)

Lukashenko was born in the village of Kopys in the Vitsebsk voblast of what was then the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Repubic. He graduated from the Mahilyow (Mogilev) Teaching Institute in 1975 and the Belarusian Agricultural Academy in 1985, qualifying as a teacher of history, social science and economics. He served two terms in the frontier troops of the Soviet Army between 1975-1977 and 1980-1982.

Related Topics:
Vitsebsk voblast - Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Repubic - Mahilyow - 1975 - 1985 - 1977 - 1980 - 1982

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He then held a series of minor posts in the Komsomol (Young Communist League), leading a Komsomol chapter in Mahilyow from 1977-1978. After leaving the army, he became the deputy chairman of a collective farm in 1982 and in 1985 was promoted to the post of director of the Gorodets state farm and construction materials plant in the Shklov district.

Related Topics:
Komsomol - 1977 - 1978 - Collective farm - 1982 - 1985 - Gorodets - State farm - Shklov

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In 1990, Lukashenko was elected as a Deputy in the Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Belarus, his first step as a politician. He founded a faction called Communists for Democracy, which advocated a democratic Soviet Union run on communist principles. He claims to have been the only deputy of the Belarusian parliament who voted against ratification of the December 1991 agreement that dissolved the Soviet Union and set up the Commonwealth of Independent States in its place. In the aftermath of the dissolution of the USSR, Lukashenko briefly returned to management of a state farm.

Related Topics:
1990 - Supreme Soviet - 1991 - Soviet Union - Commonwealth of Independent States

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Having acquired a reputation as an eloquent opponent of corruption, Lukashenko was elected in 1993 to serve as the chairman of the anti-corruption committee of the Belarusian parliament. Although he maintained a close association with leftist Communist factions, he fell out of favour with much of the Belarusian Communist Party for his attacks on the corruption and privileges of the Communist nomenklatura. In late 1993, he accused 70 senior government officials, including Stanislav Shushkevich, the speaker of the parliament and the acting president, of corruption including stealing state funds for personal purposes. Lukashenko's accusations forced a vote of confidence which Shushkevich lost. Later the accusations of Shushkevich proved to be without merit.

Related Topics:
1993 - Nomenklatura - Stanislav Shushkevich

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A new Belarusian constitution enacted in early 1994 paved the way for the first democratic presidential elections, held in July that year. Six candidates stood, including Lukashenko, who campaigned as an independent on a populist platform of "defeat the mafia." Shushkevich and Vyacheslav Kebich also ran, with the latter regarded as the clear favourite. In the event, Lukashenko won 45% of the vote against 15% for Kebich and only 10% for Shushkevich. A second round was held on July 10 in which Lukashenko won over 80% of the vote.

Related Topics:
1994 - Vyacheslav Kebich - July 10

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