Belaya Rus (Belarusian: Белая Русь, romanizedBělaja Ruś, lit.'White Rus'') is a Belarusian political party which was initially founded as a public association on 17 November 2007[8][9] to support President Alexander Lukashenko.

Belaya Rus
Белорусская партия «Белая Русь»
ChairmanOleg Romanov
FounderAlexander Radkov[1][2]
Founded17 November 2007 (2007-11-17)
Registered18 March 2023 (2023-03-18) (as party)
Legalised12 December 2007 (2007-12-12)[3]
Headquarters5th Building, Frunze St, Minsk, Belarus
Membership (2018 est.)Increase 180,000[4][needs update]
IdeologyPro-Lukashenko
Russophilia
Euroscepticism
Statism[5]
Agrarianism[6]
Anti-colour revolution[7]
(self-described)
Political positionBig tent
National affiliationRKSKPPGA
Colours  Green   Red
Slogan"For a Strong and Prosperous Belarus!"[a]
House of Representatives
51 / 110
Council of the Republic
16 / 64
Website
partiya.by (party)
1br.by (movement)

Since its foundation, the organization's leaders regularly announced they were ready to become a political party. President Lukashenko neither firmly opposed the idea nor supported it. He commented, "Well, if they are ready, let them be a party; I am not against it. On the contrary, I will support it because they are patriots. But I wouldn't advise them to hurry." The party is based on the idea of the All-Russia People's Front. It has no actual ideology outside of absolute support for Lukashenko.[10] The former minister of Education of Belarus, Alexander Radkov was chairman of the association from 2007 to 2018. The NGO had a membership of over 180,000.[11] On March 18, 2023, the association was officially transformed into a political party.[12]

Gennady Davydko, the head of the Belarusian TV and Radio Company, was elected chairman of Belaya Rus unanimously by the association's council on 19 January 2018.[13]

On 18 March 2023 in Minsk Belaya Rus held a founding conference to create a new political party; Oleg Romanov was elected as party chairman.[14][15]

The party won 46.40% of votes in the 2024 Belarusian parliamentary election, winning 51 seats.[16]

Election results

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Election Leader Performance Rank Government
Votes % +/– Seats +/–
2024 Oleg Romanov 2 343 664 46,40% New
51 / 110
New 1st Majority

Notes

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  1. ^ Belarusian: «За моцную і квітнеючую Беларусь»

References

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  1. ^ Election Profile IFES
  2. ^ Alexander Radkov: No personal success without love for one’s own country Sharkovshchina Regional Executive Committee, 16 March 2012
  3. ^ "НОВОСТИ — Минюст зарегистрировал «Белую Русь» — Политика — 12.12.2007, 14:21". Archived from the original on 29 March 2008. Retrieved 1 March 2011.
  4. ^ "Belaya Rus: Lukashenka's "Ruling Party"?". Belarus Digest. Archived from the original on 15 October 2017. Retrieved 19 May 2018."Съезд "Белой Руси": новый председатель, но прежний статус". All-National TV. 19 January 2018. Archived from the original on 19 January 2018. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  5. ^ "Главу штаба Лукашенко приняли за оппозиционера и обвинили в продажности". Regnum. 3 August 2020. Archived from the original on 9 June 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  6. ^ "Lukashenko identifies priorities for Belarusian agriculture". 10 March 2023. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  7. ^ "Polish expert: Lukashenko was the world's first politician to defeat a color blitzkrieg". Belarusian Telegraph Agency. 18 January 2023. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  8. ^ TUT.BY | НОВОСТИ — «Белая Русь» нацелена на парламентские выборы 2008 года (фото) — Политика — 17.11.2007, 20:13
  9. ^ "История". Сайт РОО «Белая Русь». 2011. Archived from the original on 21 July 2012. Retrieved 3 March 2011.
  10. ^ [1] [dead link]
  11. ^ "Съезд "Белой Руси": новый председатель, но прежний статус - ОНТ". ont.by (in Russian). 19 January 2018. Archived from the original on 2 December 2019. Retrieved 6 December 2019.
  12. ^ "«Белая Русь» опубликовала программу. Партия превратилась в «сторонников Лукашенко», но больше не хочет устранять нефтегазовую зависимость". zerkalo.io (in Russian). 21 March 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  13. ^ "Davydko elected Belaya Rus chairman". eng.belta.by. 19 January 2018. Archived from the original on 19 January 2018. Retrieved 6 December 2019.
  14. ^ "Political party Belaya Rus was created in Belarus". The Minsk Times (in Russian). 22 March 2023.
  15. ^ Kłysiński, Kamil (21 March 2023). "Belarus: the pro-regime Belaya Rus party holds its founding congress". Centre for Eastern Studies.
  16. ^ Karmanau, Yuras (26 February 2024). "Belarus' election reinforces the authoritarian leader's 30-year rule. Only loyalists could run". AP News.
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