Polls opened in Belarus on Sunday for parliamentary and local elections, which are expected to solidify the authoritarian rule of President Alexander Lukashenko. The opposition has called for a boycott of the elections, labeling them a 'senseless farce.'
Most candidates in the elections belong to parties that support Lukashenko's policies, with several opposition parties denied registration. Opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, currently in exile, urged voters to boycott the elections, stating that there are no candidates offering real change.
