Belarus' Political Parties: Existence And Influence

Belarus has a de jure multi-party system, but it operates as a de facto one-party system within an authoritarian state. There are more than a dozen registered political parties, but political success has depended more on loyalty to the president, Alexander Lukashenko, than on party affiliation. Lukashenko is technically independent of all political parties, but several parties are supportive of him, including the Communist Party of Belarus, the Liberal Democratic Party of Belarus, and the Agrarian Party. Opposition parties are permitted but have had little electoral success.

Political pluralism in Belarus

Belarus has a de jure multi-party system, but it operates as a de facto one-party system within an authoritarian state. Despite this, there are still several political parties in Belarus, and they make up a diverse political spectrum.

Political Parties in Belarus

There are more than a dozen registered political parties in Belarus, with the number of party supporters ranging from 1,200 to 50,000 people. The parties can be divided into several groups: left-wing, right-wing, and centrist.

Left-Wing Parties

Left-wing parties in Belarus include the Communist Party of Belarus, the Belarusian Left Party “A Just World”, the Belarusian Agrarian Party, the Republican Party of Labour and Justice, and the Belarusian Patriotic Party. These parties protect the interests of working people and advocate for collective responsibility.

Social and Democratic Parties

Belarusian social and democratic parties include the Belarusian Social Democratic Assembly, the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada), the Social Democratic Party of Popular Accord, and the Belarusian Green Party.

Liberal Parties

Liberal parties in Belarus include the Liberal Democratic Party, the United Civic Party, the Conservative Christian Party – BNF, and the BNF Party.

Other Parties

The Belarusian Social and Sports Party and the Republican Party do not manifest their ideological principles.

Political Campaigns

The majority of political parties in Belarus are actively involved in important political campaigns. They nominate their representatives to the lower chamber of the Belarusian Parliament, take part in presidential elections, and participate in election commissions and observation missions.

Election Results

In 2018, 458 representatives of seven political parties were elected to local councils of deputies. In 2019, 21 representatives of five political parties were elected to the House of Representatives of the National Assembly.

Criticisms and Challenges

While the existence of multiple political parties in Belarus indicates a level of political pluralism, there are several criticisms and challenges to this system.

Firstly, Belarus has been described as an authoritarian presidential state, with its current president, Alexander Lukashenko, in office since 1994. Lukashenko has been accused of cracking down on opposition structures, and the country has been criticised for severe human rights violations and restrictions on media freedom.

Secondly, opposition parties are permitted but have had little electoral success. They face challenges such as the rejection of candidates and ballot stuffing. The 2019 parliamentary elections, for example, were reported to be neither fair nor free, with all 110 parliamentary seats won by government functionaries, diplomats, and pro-government parties.

Thirdly, the Belarusian government has refused to recognize several political parties, with the most prominent example being the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party.

Finally, the country's electoral code criminalises election boycotting, and the authorities have been reluctant to conduct structural reforms to enable free and fair elections.

The role of the president

The Republic of Belarus is an authoritarian presidential state. Its president, Alexander Lukashenko, has been in office since July 1994.

Lukashenko is the head of state and is elected by popular vote for a five-year term. The president appoints the prime minister, who is the head of government but is subordinate to the president. The president also appoints some members of the Council of the Republic, the upper house of the National Assembly. The other members of the Council are elected by regional councils.

The president's role has been expanded since the 1996 referendum, which revised the constitution to give Lukashenko the right to prolong his term in office and rule by decree. The amended constitution also diminished the powers of the National Assembly.

Lukashenko's party, Belaya Rus, won 68 out of 1100 seats in the 2019 parliamentary elections. Lukashenko's supporters also include the Communist Party of Belarus, the Liberal Democratic Party of Belarus, and the Agrarian Party.

The whole system in Belarus is set up to facilitate Lukashenko's presidency. Repressive laws against the opposition and protesters prevent the possibility of real democracy. Centralisation of the domestic economy and direct influence of state institutions on businesses are designed to keep Lukashenko in power.

The president is technically independent of all political parties. However, political success in Belarus has depended more on loyalty to the president than on party affiliation since Lukashenko's election in 1994.

Banned and unregistered parties

Belarus has a de jure multi-party system, but it operates as a de facto one-party system within an authoritarian state. According to the "press service of the president of Belarus", only four parties are officially registered: Belaya Rus, the Republican Party of Labour and Justice, the Communist Party of Belarus, and the Liberal Democratic Party of Belarus.

Several other parties exist in name only, and there are also unregistered parties that are active, such as the Belarusian Christian Democracy and the Belarusian Party of Workers.

Banned Political Parties

• Conservative Christian Party BPF: In July 2023, the Supreme Court of Belarus began hearing a case for the liquidation of the Conservative Christian Party BPF on the grounds of failure to provide re-registration application documents.
• Green Party: The Green Party submitted documents for re-registration but did not provide the required personal data on party members due to personal data protection concerns. The Supreme Court has started a liquidation case against the party.

Unregistered Political Parties

• National Bolshevik Party of Belarus: This party has never been registered. It represents national Bolshevism, Russian nationalism, neo-Sovietism, Russian irredentism, anti-Western sentiment, Russian-Belarusian unionism, and anti-Lukashenko.
• Party of Freedom and Progress: This unregistered party represents liberalism and pro-Europeanism.
• Belarusian Christian Democracy: This unregistered party represents Christian democracy, liberal conservatism, social conservatism, and pro-Europeanism.
• Together (Razam): This party, unregistered as of 2020, stands for democratization and is anti-Lukashenko.
• Coordination Council: This party has never been registered.
• BPF Party: The BPF Party was officially deregistered in 2023. It represented Belarusian nationalism, Christian democracy, conservatism, and pro-Europeanism.
• Belarusian Green Party: The Belarusian Green Party was officially deregistered in 2023. It stood for green politics, eco-socialism, environmentalism, anti-capitalism, and alter-globalism.
• Belarusian Left Party "A Just World": This party was officially deregistered in 2023. It represented socialism and was anti-Lukashenko.
• Belarusian Patriotic Party: The Belarusian Patriotic Party was officially deregistered in 2023. It represented socialism and was pro-Lukashenko.
• Belarusian Social Democratic Assembly: This party was officially deregistered in 2023. It represented social democracy, civic nationalism, environmentalism, and pro-Europeanism.
• Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Assembly): The Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Assembly) was officially deregistered in 2023. It represented social democracy, liberal democracy, and pro-Europeanism.
• Belarusian Social Democratic Party (People's Assembly): This party was officially deregistered in 2005. It represented social democracy, sustainable development, and non-interventionism.
• Belarusian Social Sporting Party: The Belarusian Social Sporting Party was officially deregistered in 2023. It represented welfarism, was pro-Lukashenko, and supported Russophilia.
• Belarusian Women's Party "Nadzieja": This party was officially deregistered in 2007. It represented women's rights and social democracy.
• Conservative Christian Party – BPF: The Conservative Christian Party – BPF was officially deregistered in 2023. It represented Belarusian nationalism, national conservatism, social conservatism, and the Christian right.
• Republican Party: The Republican Party was officially deregistered in 2023. It was pro-Lukashenko and supported Eurasianism.
• Social Democratic Party of Popular Accord: This party was officially deregistered in 2023. It represented social democracy and was pro-Lukashenko.
• United Civic Party: The United Civic Party was officially deregistered in 2023. It represented liberal conservatism, economic liberalism, and pro-Europeanism.
• Belarusian Students' Association: This party was officially deregistered in 2001.
• Legalize Belarus: This unregistered party advocates for drug liberalization.
• Young Front: The Young Front is an unregistered party that represents Belarusian nationalism, Christian democracy, and centre-right to right-wing politics.
• Young Democrats: This party was officially deregistered in 2004.
• Right Alliance: This unregistered party represents conservatism, traditionalism, civic nationalism, and Belarusian nationalism.
• Young Belarus: Young Belarus is an unregistered party that represents Belarusian nationalism, Christian democracy, conservatism, and centre-right to right-wing politics.
• Youth Bloc: This unregistered party represents classical liberalism.
• Revolutionary Action: This unregistered party has a collective leadership and represents anarcho-communism, social anarchism, insurrectionary anarchism, illegalism, and platformism.
• Movement "For Freedom": This unregistered party represents liberal democracy and pro-Europeanism.
• Tell the Truth: This unregistered party stands for democratization and is anti-Lukashenko.

The impact of the 2019 parliamentary elections

Belarus has a de jure multi-party system, but it operates as a de facto one-party system within an authoritarian state. There are 15 political parties in Belarus, with only four officially registered: Belaya Rus, the Communist Party of Belarus, the Liberal Democratic Party of Belarus, and the Republican Party of Labour and Justice.

The 2019 parliamentary elections in Belarus took place on November 17, with 110 members of the House of Representatives elected from single-member constituencies by first-past-the-post voting. The elections saw the participation of several political parties, including the Communist Party of Belarus, the Liberal Democratic Party of Belarus, the Republican Party of Labour and Justice, the United Civic Party, and the Belarusian Patriotic Party, among others.

Secondly, the elections were marked by allegations of fraud and a lack of transparency. Observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) noted that fundamental freedoms were disregarded, and the integrity of the election process was not adequately safeguarded. There were also concerns about the exclusion of many opposition candidates, limited opportunities for public campaigning, and shortcomings during vote counting. The OSCE's assessment was supported by statements from the US State Department and the European Union, expressing regret over the lack of representation for alternative voices in parliament.

Thirdly, the elections highlighted the consolidation of power by Lukashenko and his supporters. All 110 elected deputies were described as "loyal" to the president, and the House has largely served to approve his policies. This concentration of power has been a consistent feature of Belarusian politics since a 1996 referendum that granted Lukashenko extensive governing powers.

Lastly, the 2019 elections took place in a context of increasing repression and a crackdown on dissent. Over 1,400 political prisoners were behind bars at the time, including leaders of opposition parties and human rights advocates. The elections were preceded by allegations from Lukashenko of Western countries plotting a coup, which led to heightened security measures and further restricted the political space.

Overall, the 2019 parliamentary elections in Belarus had far-reaching impacts, solidifying Lukashenko's grip on power, excluding opposition voices, and contributing to a political environment characterised by tight control and limited political freedoms.

The 2020 presidential election and its aftermath

The 2020 presidential election in Belarus took place on 9 August, with early voting beginning on 4 August and running until 8 August. The election saw President Alexander Lukashenko re-elected for a sixth term, with the Central Election Commission (CEC) crediting him with just over 80% of the vote. Lukashenko has won every presidential election since the first in 1994, and all but that first election have been labelled by international monitors as neither free nor fair.

Opposition candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya claimed to have won the first round with at least 60% of the vote and called on Lukashenko to begin negotiations for a transfer of power. She subsequently formed the Coordination Council to facilitate this transfer and stated her readiness to organise "long-term protests" against the official results. All seven members of the Coordination Council Presidium were subsequently arrested or exiled.

The election was marred by claims of widespread electoral fraud, with numerous countries, including the European Union, refusing to accept the result. The EU imposed sanctions on Belarusian officials deemed responsible for "violence, repression and election fraud". The results of the election sparked widespread protests, with demonstrators clashing with riot police in Minsk.

In the lead-up to the election, several opposition candidates were barred from registering or were detained, including Viktar Babaryka, Valery Tsepkalo, and Sergei Tikhanovsky. Tsikhanouskaya herself faced threats, with her children taken away and sent to live with their grandmother for their safety. Local governments also cancelled several of her campaign events.

The aftermath of the election saw a further crackdown on dissent, with over 1,400 political prisoners remaining behind bars as of 2024. Lukashenko relied on support from his main ally, Russia, to survive the protests, and he allowed Russian troops to use Belarusian territory when invading Ukraine in February 2022.

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