BEIJING, March 20 (Xinhua) -- Alexander Lukashenko has been elected president of Belarus for the third time with 82.6 percent of vote in Sunday's general elections, the country's Central Election Commission announced Monday.

    Following is brief information about Lukashenko:

    Born on Aug. 30, 1954, in the Shklov region, Mogilev state, Lukashenko was reared without father. He graduated from two higher educational establishments: the Mogilev State University (1975) and the Belarusian Agricultural Academy (1985).

    In 1975-1977 and in 1980-1982, Lukashenko served in the frontier troops and in the Soviet Army.

    In 1990, he became a people's deputy to the Supreme Council (parliament) of the Republic of Belarus. When holding the post of chairman of the Supreme Council committee on fighting corruption, Lukashenko proved to be an active and uncompromising people's deputy.

    He was elected Belarusian president on July 10, 1994, after garnering more than 80 percent of the votes. His five-year term was extended to 2001 following a 1996 referendum.

    Lukashenko was re-elected for another five years in the 2001 presidential election.

    Belarusians vote in a referendum in October 2004 to change the former Soviet republic's constitution, which enabled Lukashenko to run for a third term.

    Lukashenko is married, with two sons. Enditem