Editing Alexander Lukashenko (section)

===Second term (2001–2006)===
{{see also|2001 Belarusian presidential election}}
[[File:Alexander Lukashenko in a meeting with Bashar al-Assad in December 2003 (1) (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright=1.15|Alexander Lukashenko alongside [[Syria]]n President [[Bashar al-Assad]] during a state visit to Syria in December 2003]]
Under the original constitution, Lukashenko should have been up for reelection in 1999. However, the 1996 referendum extended Lukashenko's term for two additional years. In the 9 September 2001 election, Lukashenko faced [[Uładzimir Hančaryk|Vladimir Goncharik]] and [[Sergei Gaidukevich]].<ref>"Contemporary Belarus: Between Democracy and Dictatorship" (London: RoutledgeCurzon, 2003), with R. Marsh and C. Lawson
</ref> During the campaign, Lukashenko promised to raise the standards of farming, social benefits and increase industrial output of Belarus.<ref name="ut2001">{{cite news | title =Lukashenko claims victory in Belarus election | date =10 September 2001 | url =https://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2001/09/09/belarus.htm | work =USA Today | access-date =17 October 2007 | archive-date =12 August 2007 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20070812031902/http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2001/09/09/belarus.htm | url-status =live }}</ref> Lukashenko won in the first round with 75.65% of the vote. The [[Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe]] (OSCE) said the election process "failed to meet international standards".<ref name="ut2001"/>
[[File:Ali Khamenei met with Belarusian President Lukashenko (2006 11 06) 07.jpg|thumb|230x230px|Meeting of Alexander Lukashenko with Iranian supreme leader [[Ali Khamenei]] and president [[Mahmoud Ahmadinejad]] in 2006]]
''[[Janes Information Services|Jane's Intelligence]] Digest'' surmised that the price of Russian support for Lukashenko ahead of the 2001 presidential election was the surrender of Minsk's control over its section of the [[Yamal–Europe pipeline|Yamal–Europe gas pipeline]].<ref>Standish, M J A (11 January 2006). "Editor's notes." ''Jane's Intelligence Digest.''</ref> After the results were announced declaring Lukashenko the winner, Russia publicly welcomed Lukashenko's re-election; the Russian President, [[Vladimir Putin]], telephoned Lukashenko and offered a message of congratulations and support.<ref name="ut2001"/>

Following the [[2003 invasion of Iraq]], American intelligence agencies reported that aides of [[Saddam Hussein]] managed to acquire Belarusian passports while in Syria, but that it was unlikely that Belarus would offer a safe haven for Saddam and his two sons.<ref>{{cite news |title=Saddam aides may flee to Belarus: report |date=24 June 2003 |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2003/06/24/886972.htm |access-date=13 October 2007 |archive-date=15 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220315163438/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2003-06-24/saddam-aides-may-flee-to-belarus-report/1875514 |url-status=dead }}</ref> This action, along with arms deals with [[Iraq]] and [[Iran]], prompted Western governments to take a tougher stance against Lukashenko. The US was particularly angered by the arms sales, and American political leaders increasingly began to refer to Belarus as "Europe's last dictatorship".<ref name='last'>{{cite news |title=Profile: Europe's last dictator? |date=10 September 2001 |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/116265.stm |access-date=13 October 2007 |archive-date=26 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130726114758/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/116265.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> The EU was concerned for the security of its gas supplies from Russia, which are piped through Belarus, and took an active interest in Belarusian affairs. With the accession of [[Poland]], [[Latvia]] and [[Lithuania]], the EU's border with Belarus has grown to more than 1000&nbsp;kilometers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mfa.gov.by/print/en/mass_media/c824327c1d35b374.html |title=Belarus Foreign Minister Sergei Martynov interview for The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung – Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus |publisher=Mfa.gov.by |access-date=7 January 2013 |archive-date=21 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131221060943/http://www.mfa.gov.by/print/en/mass_media/c824327c1d35b374.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

During a televised address to the nation on 7 September 2004, Lukashenko announced plans for a referendum to eliminate presidential term limits. This was held on 17 October 2004, the same day as parliamentary elections, and, according to official results, was approved by 79.42% of voters. Previously, Lukashenko had been limited to two terms and thus would have been constitutionally required to step down after the presidential elections in 2006.<ref name='Telegraph 2008'>{{cite news|title=Alexander Lukashenko: Dictator with a difference |date=25 September 2008 |work=The Daily Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/profiles/3080936/Alexander-Lukashenko-Dictator-with-a-difference.html |access-date=26 September 2008 |location=London |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080926101350/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/profiles/3080936/Alexander-Lukashenko-Dictator-with-a-difference.html |archive-date=26 September 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Observers deplore Belarus vote |date=18 October 2004 |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3752930.stm |access-date=13 October 2007 |archive-date=2 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170702072508/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3752930.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> Opposition groups, the [[Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe|OSCE]], the [[European Union]], and the [[United States Department of State|US State Department]] stated that the vote fell short of international standards. <!-- An example of the failure, cited by the OSCE, was the pre-marking of ballots.{{citation needed|date=August 2020}} --> Belarus grew economically under Lukashenko, but much of this growth was due to Russian crude oil which was imported at below-market prices, refined, and sold to other European countries at a profit.<ref name="Telegraph 2008"/>