BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

14/10/2007

Belarus opposition rallies against President Lukashenko

BELARUS'S small and often fractious opposition joined forces today to protest in the capital of the ex-Soviet state against President Alexander Lukashenko, accused in the West of crushing fundamental rights.

Organisers of the protest said they expected between 10,000 and 30,000 participants at their "European March" aimed at showing that the country of 10 million wedged between Russia and three European Union states wants to move closer to Europe.

Yulia Kotskaya, an opposition activist, said police had rounded up and detained more than 30 opposition supporters in the run-up to the protest being staged in chilly autumn weather.

The march was due to start at 2100 (AEST).

Belarus's opposition united behind academic Alexander Milinkevich as their candidate to oppose Mr Lukashenko's successful bid for re-election to a third term last year, but earlier this year their ranks split.

They pulled together for today's protest, though differences in how to act against the president persisted.

Mr Milinkevich asked supporters to gather initially in the central October Square, where the opposition staged noisy protests against Mr Lukashenko's re-election last year for four days before they were broken up by police.

But city authorities authorised the protest only in an outlying square and police warned Mr Milinkevich ahead of the march that they would hold him criminally responsible for any violations of public order.

Other opposition groups said they intended to meet only in the square.

The United States and European Union barred entry to Mr Lukashenko and more than 30 other officials after last year's presidential election, which they denounced as rigged.

President Lukashenko is also accused of cracking down on opponents and muzzling independent media.

The president has been in power since 1994 and is generally popular, especially outside the capital.

He has called for improved ties with western Europe after quarrelling with Russia earlier this year over energy prices, but rejects EU demands that Belarus must first meet Western democratic standards.

Source:

http://www.news.com.au/mercury/story/0,22884,22584620-5005940,00.html?from=public_rss