Europe’s longest-serving leader won re-election in a contest widely believe to have been rigged. The result cements the power of a leader whose country is considered Russia’s staunchest ally.

MINSK (Reuters) -Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko was on track to extend his 31-year rule with 87.6% of the vote in a presidential election on Sunday, according to an exit poll broadcast on state TV,

Exit polls have Alexander Lukashenko on track to extend his 31 year rule with nearly 88% of the vote. Western governments have slammed the vote as a sham, with Lukashenko's rivals broadly seen as government stooges.