Alexander Lukashenko
Date of Birth : 30 August 1954
Birth Place: Kopys, Belarus
Political Party : Independent
Arrival in Power : 20 July 1994
Religion: NA
Profession: Politician
Biography:
Alexander Lukashenko was born in Kopys, Belarus, in 1954. He is the first president of Belarus and is currently serving his third term. Lukashenko started his professional life as a military officer, and then went on to become a director in the manufacturing and agricultural sectors. One of the major issues leading to the 1994 presidential elections was the rampant corruption in the country, and Lukashenko was believed to be the best candidate to deal with this issue, and he was subsequently elected, because he made this issue the centerpiece of his campaign.
Shortly into his term, Lukashenko upgraded the powers of the president and sought closer ties with Russia. Lukashenko is generally regarded by the United States and the European Union with mistrust, as they consider him a dictator. He is also accused of having arms talks with Iran and Iraq. He was re-elected in 2001, in this term he changed the constitution and removed limits on the amount of terms a president could serve. In 2006 he was elected with a majority of around 84%, this vote was widely criticized by the OECD, as they judged that Lukashenko had used his position to influence the outcome of the vote. During his reign he has maintained state ownership of industries and a communist-like administration.
Sources:
http://www.president.gov.by/en/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Lukashenko
Sergey Sidorsky
Date of Birth: 13 March 1954
Birth Place: Gomel, Belarus
Political Party: NA
Arrival in Power: 10 July 2003
Religion: NA
Profession: NA
Biography:
Sergey Sidorsky was born in Homiel, Belarus, in 1954. He has a degree in electrical engineering from the Belarusian Institute of Railway Engineers. Before joining politics he worked as a factory foreman, in the radio equipment industry. He was named Prime Minister in 2003. He is also reputedly a renowned scientist with many publications.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergei_Sidorsky
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