Belarus poised to re-elect Lukashenko, Presidential elections are taking place in Belarus, where voters are expected to return incumbent Alexander Lukashenko to power.
Mr Lukashenko has governed the former Soviet republic almost unchallenged for 21 years.
Only three candidates are standing against Mr Lukashenko, and no veteran opposition leaders are standing as they were not allowed to register.
They say that the vote will not be free or fair.
Belarusian TV on Sunday showed President Lukashenko casting his vote in an election for which he is seeking a fifth consecutive term of office.
The president was accompanied to the polling station by his youngest son, Nikolai, who has accompanied his father on numerous public occasions in recent years.
Critics have accused the president and his supporters of preventing the main opposition parties from building any public profile and restricting their access to the all-powerful state-owned media.
This year's Nobel Literature Prize laureate, Svetlana Alexievich, has warned that her country is a "soft dictatorship".
She said Mr Lukashenko was a man connected to the Soviet era and was untrustworthy. None of her books is published in Belarus.
Belarus, with seven million voters, is holding its fifth presidential election in 21 years, but so far has had only one president - Alexander Lukashenko
The president has not polled less than 75% in any of the previous votes and is expected to be declared the winner again
Among the three challengers to the incumbent, two are regarded as "technical" pro-Lukashenko candidates
The only woman in the quartet, Tatsiana Karatkevich, is an opposition activist now disowned by almost all opposition parties except her own Tell the Truth movement
The opposition fears that Ms Karatkevich's bid will be used to create a semblance of plurality and to legitimize Lukashenko's re-election in the eyes of the West.
Last time a presidential election was held in Belarus - in 2010 - seven of the nine presidential candidates were arrested.
One of them was only released this year following widespread international pressure.
The candidates were accused of various offences, including the encouragement of violent protest and attempting to overthrow the state.
The opposition says that there are no plans for post-election demonstrations similar to those held in December 2010.
The BBC's Paul Moss says that few doubt that Mr Lukashenko will win again - and the man once dubbed "Europe's last dictator" seems determined to stick around.
Mr Lukashenko has governed the former Soviet republic almost unchallenged for 21 years.
Only three candidates are standing against Mr Lukashenko, and no veteran opposition leaders are standing as they were not allowed to register.
They say that the vote will not be free or fair.
Belarusian TV on Sunday showed President Lukashenko casting his vote in an election for which he is seeking a fifth consecutive term of office.
The president was accompanied to the polling station by his youngest son, Nikolai, who has accompanied his father on numerous public occasions in recent years.
Critics have accused the president and his supporters of preventing the main opposition parties from building any public profile and restricting their access to the all-powerful state-owned media.
This year's Nobel Literature Prize laureate, Svetlana Alexievich, has warned that her country is a "soft dictatorship".
She said Mr Lukashenko was a man connected to the Soviet era and was untrustworthy. None of her books is published in Belarus.
Belarus, with seven million voters, is holding its fifth presidential election in 21 years, but so far has had only one president - Alexander Lukashenko
The president has not polled less than 75% in any of the previous votes and is expected to be declared the winner again
Among the three challengers to the incumbent, two are regarded as "technical" pro-Lukashenko candidates
The only woman in the quartet, Tatsiana Karatkevich, is an opposition activist now disowned by almost all opposition parties except her own Tell the Truth movement
The opposition fears that Ms Karatkevich's bid will be used to create a semblance of plurality and to legitimize Lukashenko's re-election in the eyes of the West.
Last time a presidential election was held in Belarus - in 2010 - seven of the nine presidential candidates were arrested.
One of them was only released this year following widespread international pressure.
The candidates were accused of various offences, including the encouragement of violent protest and attempting to overthrow the state.
The opposition says that there are no plans for post-election demonstrations similar to those held in December 2010.
The BBC's Paul Moss says that few doubt that Mr Lukashenko will win again - and the man once dubbed "Europe's last dictator" seems determined to stick around.
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