Pray for the Christians of Belarus

Early voting polls opened last night for the presidential election in Belarus. Authorities called the early vote standard democratic procedure. But supporters of the main opposition
candidate in the March 19 vote, Alexander Milinkevich, expressed concern over possible ballot-stuffing and multiple voting at unguarded and unmonitored polling stations; Milinkevich, said advance votes would simply be stolen by the authorities. Authorities have detained a number of Milinkevich supporters in advance of the vote, sentencing some to terms of up to 15 days - this will keep them in prison until after the election.


Minsk last week refused to grant observer status to a European Union delegation at the March 19 presidential elections. Government restrictions on freedom of speech and the press, peaceful assembly,
and religion continue under the current president's rule. Since his election in July 1995 as the country's first president, Alexander Lukashenko has steadily consolidated his power through authoritarian means. He has changed the country's constitution to allow himself to run for a third term; Alyaksandr Lukashenko is widely expected to win a third term in office.


Please remember our brothers and sisters in Belarus. Our friend as requested that we pray that the political movements will not harm God's work there; she said the atmosphere there is very tense.