It’s not just South Australia and Tasmania going to the polls this
weekend – Sunday sees presidential elections in Belarus, notorious as
the last dictatorship in Europe.

President Alexander Lukashenko has ruled the former Soviet republic
since 1994, and there seems little doubt that the elections will be
conducted in such a way as to produce another overwhelming victory. Reports
have his government already rounding up opposition activists and
confiscating newspapers. The last election, in 2001, gave Lukashenko
75.6% of the vote but was denounced by monitors for “fundamental flaws”
(see Adam Carr’s summary here): Belarus
has been denied membership in the Council of Europe as a result of such
practices.

Nor does it seem likely that popular protest will
force Lukashenko from office, at least in the short term. Last weekend
the Belarus foreign ministry announced a crackdown on the entry of foreign activists who might attempt to
stir up discontent. According to AFP, a spokesman said Belarus “has a
right to regulate foreign arrivals, particularly those whose entry into
our country is not wanted”.

Although this must be dispiriting for the people of
Belarus, Lukashenko’s status as the last dictator in Europe is actually
a remarkable sign of progress. Even 35 years ago the continent was full
of them, not just in the Soviet bloc but in Spain, Portugal and Greece
as well. And by world standards, Lukashenko’s dictatorship is
reasonably mild; there are no massacres of opponents, and dodgy
elections are better than none at all.

Keeping Lukashenko in power, but also no doubt
keeping him in check, is support from his powerful neighbour, Russia’s
Vladimir Putin. One day he may become too great an embarrassment and
Putin will cut him loose, but for now he looks set for another term.