The polls have closed in the presidential election in Belarus, which took place amid large-scale anti-government protests and accusations of a crackdown on the opposition by longtime President Alexander Lukashenko.
The Central Election Committee said that at 79 percent of the population took part in the vote by 18:00 on Saturday, pointing out that it’s a “very high number.” Queues were reported at some polling stations, with one of the candidates even having to wait to cast his vote.
There were also lines at Belarusian embassies around the globe as citizens living abroad were able to participate in the election.
