It takes a lot of effort to fake a democratic vote.  Sure, there are some outstanding examples, such as the 100% victory of Saddam Hussein in his 2002 election, or one of Fidel Castro’s many victories at the ballot box in excess of 99% support which make it look like a breeze, but these heroes of imitation democracy were unfettered by such troublesome issues as “open access to candidacy” or “mathematical impossibility.”  In other words, it really only works to go to the trouble of holding an open vote when you have already essentially criminalized any attempt for the opponents to participate in the process – hence the many problems being experienced by Alexander Lukashenko in Belarus in the wake of his declared “victory” of 79.7% of the votes at the polls this weekend.

When the election results were announced on Sunday, an impromptu demonstration of thousands of angry voters was staged in Independence Square in Minsk, denouncing the electoral fraud.  They were met with appalling violence from the police and mass arrests of 639 people, including most of the individuals brave enough to have run in the election as opposition candidates.  The candidate Vladimir Neklyayev was badly beaten during the crackdown, and then, while receiving medical care for his injuries, was dragged from his hospital bed and placed under arrest and absconded to an unknown location by plainclothes security agents.

Everybody watching this mess unravel was suitably horrified.  “The violent attacks and arrests of most of the presidential candidates, as well as hundreds of activists, journalists, and civil society representatives, is the backdrop against which this election will now be judged,” said Tom Lloyd of the OSCE observer mission. “The people of Belarus deserved better.“