Page "History of Belarus" Paragraph 52

In 1994, the first presidential elections were held and Alexander Lukashenko was elected president of Belarus.

Under Lukashenko, economic reforms were slowed.

The 1996 Belarus Referendum resulted in the amendment of the constitution that took key powers off the parliament.

In 2001, he was re-elected as president in elections described as undemocratic by Western observers.

At the same time the west began criticising him of authoritarianism.

In 2006, Lukashenko was once again re-elected in presidential elections which were again criticised as flawed by most EU countries.