BELARUS - Belarus poll rallies 'must go on'

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Tuesday, 21 March 2006,

20:30 GMT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Belarus

poll rallies 'must go on'

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Icy conditions

did not deter hundreds of opposition activists

 

 

 

Belarus' main opposition leader has

urged his supporters to keep up daily protests against the election result,

calling for a major rally on Saturday.

Alexander Milinkevich was addressing a few thousand protesters

who had gathered in a Minsk square to complain of

vote-rigging in Sunday's poll.

Ambassadors from 11 EU countries went to the square earlier to

show support.

British ambassador Brian Bennett said Europe was

dissatified over what had been a " fraudulent vote " .

 

 

 

 

 

 

Belarussians day after day live in fear, endure

lies in the media and workplace

 

Ludmila, Minsk

 

Send us your comments

 

 

 

 

The protesters accuse President Alexander

Lukashenko of rigging the presidential poll and want a new vote.

The EU and US have condemned the poll as flawed and the EU has

said it may impose sanctions. But Russia says the poll was

fair.

Results announced on Monday gave Mr Lukashenko 82.6% of the

vote, securing his third term in office.

Electoral officials said the runner-up Mr Milinkevich polled 6%.

 

Arrests

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mr Milinkevich said he was going to

spend another night with his supporters camped out in the square.

He called for a big show of strength in the Belarussian capital

on Saturday - the anniversary of the declaration of independence of the

short-lived Belarussian republic in 1918.

" We will come here every day until 25 March to speak about

freedom. Bring your friends and acquaintances. We will gather many

people, " the head of the United Civil Party said.

He spoke by the light of TV cameras after the lighting in

October Square was shut off.

The opposition said on Tuesday that four activists had been

arrested during the protest.

'Last

chance'

In a small-scale echo of Ukraine's " Orange

Revolution " , protesters have put up 17 tents in the square. They have

put candles and food on plastic sheets and have been playing music from

loudspeakers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Despite the unashamed foreign attempts to dictate

to us and colossal external pressure, they have failed to break us

 

 

Alexander

Lukashenko

 

Profile: Lukashenko

 

Opposition turns to internet

 

 

 

 

They said they would continue their protest in

sub-zero temperatures until a new election was called - but such an outcome

is unlikely, the BBC's Steve Rosenberg

reports from Minsk.

One young man in the square told the BBC " this is the last

chance to change the situation " .

" Many people helped us, they brought hot water, hot tea and

some meals... it's a bid for freedom

and the people standing here don't want to be

slaves, " he said.

Protests began on Sunday evening as the polls closed, with some

10,000 people gathering in October Square.

Thousands turned out again on Monday night, but numbers later

dwindled to several hundred.

'Absurd' complaints

Mr Lukashenko has said he believes voters have made their choice

and that any attempts to launch a revolution have failed.

In a television appearance on Monday, the president insisted the

poll was fair and democratic and called the complaints " absurd " .

However, the OSCE, Europe's main election

monitoring body, said the process had been " severely flawed " , with

harassment of opposition activists, biased media coverage and obstruction of

independent monitors.

The US, which has previously

labelled Mr Lukashenko a dictator, says it does not accept the result.

But a rival observer mission, from the Russian-led Commonwealth of Independent

States, said the election was open and transparent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4830830.stm

 

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Jorge Angelino

 

 

Rua da Sociedade Filarmónica

Perpétua Azeitonense, 29

2925-598 Azeitão

Portugal

 

 

 

 

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