A total of 23% of eligible Belarusian electors cast their votes in early voting in presidential elections in Belarus, the Central Election Commission said on Sunday.

"The total number of people who have voted ahead of the scheduled election is 23%," Lidiya Yermoshina, the commission's chairwoman, said.

Early voting is practiced in many countries, although opposition candidates often claim this practice to be an instrument of vote-rigging for authorities.

Belarusians went to the polls on Sunday to cast their votes in elections, which are expected to see Belarus' authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko claim a fourth, this time five-year term.

Lukashenko has led the ex-Soviet republic since 1994, largely relying on Russia-subsidized energy supplies.

MINSK, December 19 (RIA Novosti)