Use the excerpt to answer the question. “Mr Lukashenko, who has been in power for 18 years, is banned from travelling to the United States and western Europe. He has been accused of torture and human rights abuses—he has thrown his opponents in prison, banned protests and restricted freedom of expression. . . . There is no presidential term limit here [Belarus] and the 1996 referendum consolidated Mr Lukashenko’s power. Not a single election in Belarus has been deemed as free or fair by the West. Not a single opposition candidate won a seat in the recent, parliamentary vote. Protests have been violently supressed.” —BBC News, October 22, 2012 What type of government does Belarus have? (1 point) Responses democracy democracy constitutional monarchy constitutional monarchy dictatorship dictatorship absolute monarchy.
Based on the information provided in the excerpt, Belarus can be classified as having a dictatorship form of government. This can be inferred from the fact that the president, Mr Lukashenko, has been in power for 18 years and has consolidated his power through a referendum. The excerpt also mentions that Mr Lukashenko has been accused of human rights abuses, has thrown opponents in prison, banned protests, and restricted freedom of expression. Additionally, it highlights that not a single election in Belarus has been considered free or fair by the West, and that protests have been violently suppressed. All of these factors indicate an authoritarian rule, characteristic of a dictatorship.
