Lukashenko's health woes raise questions ahead of election
Alexander Lukashenko will soon turn 71. The Belarusian dictator is expected to win another manipulated presidential election in the country on Sunday. However, there are increasing reports about his health problems.
Lukashenko has ruled Belarus uninterrupted since 1994. On Sunday, he is likely to "win" the elections once again and will hold power for another term. The international community, however, has no doubt that the electoral process in Belarus is manipulated and the results are predetermined. This was the case in 2020, which led to mass protests against Lukashenko.
Doctors called to Lukashenko: Was help needed from China?
In recent months, there have been more frequent reports about Lukashenko's health problems. The dictator reportedly fell ill during foreign visits, among other occasions. This happened in May 2023, when Moscow celebrated Victory Day, as well as later during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Kazakhstan.
The Institute of Central Europe, citing former Belarusian ambassador to Poland Pavel Latushko, reported that Lukashenko suffers from serious conditions such as diabetes, knee problems, spine issues, and head tremors. He is also having increasing difficulty with movement, which has prompted him to give up certain sports, including his beloved hockey.
Marcin Strzyżewski, author of books about Russia and Belarus, noted in the program "The World According to Poland" that it is increasingly difficult for the regime to hide information about the health issues of the Belarusian leader. He mentioned, one of Lukashenko's sons made a direct plea for help to China when the dictator's health situation became critical - Strzyżewski said.
Lukashenko will soon turn 71. He is, however, reluctant to talk about his health. He made an exception in July of last year when he visited his hometown for an annual concert. He admitted then that he has "difficult days" and is "tired." This coincided with the dictator's indisposition at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit.
- There are a lot of mass events. And the hardest thing is when there are a lot of people, each expecting something—one is cursing, another is thanking you, the third—something else. And this huge number of people greatly affects a person - Lukashenko said, quoted by the Zerkalo portal.
Russian journalist Mikhail Fishman from the independent TV station Dozhd reported at the time, citing his anonymous sources, that Alexander Lukashenko lost consciousness during the summit in Astana, and his condition "began to deteriorate before the eyes of the participants."
According to Fishman, Lukashenko is "indeed seriously ill" and "coping with it very poorly."
Belarusian law states that if the president dies or is unable to perform his duties, the chairman of the Council of the Republic (the upper house of parliament) takes over. That's the theory; in practice, Lukashenko's sons might take the lead.
