Minsk: Belarus votes in presidential polls expected to hand a fourth term to its unpredictable strongman Alexander Lukashenko but already derided by the opposition as a mockery of democracy. The mercurial Lukashenko, who has ruled the ex-Soviet state of 10 million since 1994, was for years an unwavering ally of Moscow but in recent months has infuriated Russia by seeking to align Belarus closer to the EU. Once accused by the United States of running Europe’s “last dictatorship”, he has earned notoriety for antics such as dressing his young son reportedly born out of wedlock in full military uniform for parades — but also for not tolerating dissent. US diplomats have referred to Lukashenko…
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Belarus set to give maverick president fourth term