professor elena korosteleva is director of the global europe centre at the university of kent, originallys just cast her vote in today's presidential election. i think you were in minsk a few weeks ago as well. welcome to bbc news. alexander lu kashenko weeks ago as well. welcome to bbc news. alexander lukashenko has been in powerfor a long time. i suppose the odds are that he will remain in power but how much of the challenges at this time round? hello, yes, simply because of the levels of mobilisation are astounding. i'm standing outside the embassy in london. it's incredible, i'm looking at the crowd of people, how they are cheering everyone coming out of the embassy, the way they voted, an exit poll registering every vote that comes out here and what is amazing is that the queues, it's about 2000 people long and it basically passes so people long and it basically passes so many streets and the crowds and the peaceful movement of voters, also people in the demonstrations, it's incredibly peaceful but also wanting change. but president lukashenko one back, though it was civil unrest and

let's get the thoughts now of professor elena korosteleva — director of the global europe centre, university more demonstrations in belarus but the same question, can the president ride this out? can he survive these demonstrations? thank you, i fully survive these demonstrations? thank you, ifully agree survive these demonstrations? thank you, i fully agree with your correspondent. the tensions are growing. demonstrations have not stopped. they have been continuing for two weeks and there are tensions between the regime and protesters. i think there is no way back to the point of departure because people are point of departure because people a re clearly point of departure because people are clearly showing their disapproval of all the violence, the abuse, lies, intimidation and so on. so what is important now is to try and find the point of exit for the president and in terms of organising new elections. he does not look like he is in any mood to change his mind, have new elections will step down. we're hearing that the army are going to take over responsibility for protecting national mem

i've been speaking with professor elena korosteleva, director of the global europe centre at the universitynt, who is originally from belarus and has this afternoon cast her vote in the election. i started by asking how much of a threat was ms tikhanovskaya to president lukashenko‘s hopes of a sixth term in office. the challenge is massive simply because the levels of mobilisation are absolutely astounding. i am standing just outside the embassy in london. it's just incredible looking at the crowd of people, how they are cheering everyone coming out of the embassy, looking at the way they voted. an exit poll registering every single vote that comes out here. what is amazing is that the queue is about 2000 people long, it has passed so many streets and the crowd and the peaceful mood of voters and those demonstrating, it's just incredibly peaceful but also wanting change. president lukashenko won with 80% back in 2010. there was civil unrest there, demonstrations, do you think he will win this time and if he does, will the elections be considered free and fair internationally? the prediction

professor elena korosteleva, is the director of the global europe centre at the university of kent herend an expert in bela russian politics. she expects the protests to continue to grow in the coming days. the protest is growing and it is the third consecutive week. we could call it defiance, for which belarus has been known since the second world war because people have nothing else to lose but their own dignity. the economy is in every call, people are being put in prison, murdered, tortured and raped. there is no way back, only forward. until now, and i am sure it will come in the next coming weeks, all the protests have been very peaceful and very orderly. even the streets, the protesters need the streets very clean and tidy. this is precisely to show this is an internal matter that should be solved only internally without any interference from other forces, including the bigger neighbour, russia. it is not anti—russian, oi’ russia. it is not anti—russian, or anti—western, it is internal only. the head of the us department of homeland security, chad wolf, has said all options are o