Belarus Vote Marred By 'climate of Intimidation'

The presidential election in Belarus in which the country's authoritarian president won more than 80% of the vote was carried out in a "climate of intimidation", the European Union said today.

Austrian foreign minister Ursula Plassnik, whose country currently holds the EU's rotating presidency, said the opposition in the former Soviet republic was "systematically intimidated".

The EU verdict came after a night of protests following the announcement of official results that gave Alexander Lukashenko 82.6% support from a turnout of 92%.

More than 10,000 people defied a government ban on election-day rallies to gather in a central square in the capital Minsk last night.

Alexander Milinkevich, the main opposition candidate who was credited with only 6% of the vote, addressed crowds of people waving flags and shouting for freedom in Oktyabrskaya Square.

He dismissed the vote giving Mr Lukashenko a landslide third term as a farce and called for "new, honest elections".

Earlier he told a news conference: "These elections will be recognised neither by us nor by democratic countries."

Austria was today chairing a meeting of EU foreign ministers to discuss their response to the elections.

Cyril Svodboda, the Czech foreign minister, branded the elections "unfair and undemocratic" but said it was too soon to consider economic sanctions.

The criticism from the EU contrasted sharply with an assessment by observers from a group of former Soviet states who called the election open and transparent.

Vladimir Rushailo, head of the Commonwealth of Independent States mission, said its 467 observers concluded that despite some technical violations, the elections took place within Belarussian law.

Mr Rushailo is a former interior minister of Russia. The Kremlin is closely allied with Mr Lukashenko.

Another assessment is due later today by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which will examine whether the campaign met international standards for free and fair democratic elections.

Mr Milinkevich and the other opposition candidate, Alexander Kozulin - who received 2.3% of the vote - called on supporters to gather for further demonstrations tonight.

The call for renewed protests echoes the sustained demonstrations that brought opposition leaders to power in other former Soviet republics, including neighbouring Ukraine.

Mr Kozulin demanded the release of what he said were hundreds of opposition activists detained during an election campaign marked by government repression.

Mr Lukashenko, who is described by Washington as Europe's last true dictator, is accused in the west of systematically undermining human rights.

He has vowed to prevent mass rallies like those in Ukraine and Georgia that ousted pro-Moscow leaderships in so-called colour revolutions.

Mr Lukashenko dismissed international criticism today. "We in Belarus are conducting the election for ourselves," he said. "As for sweeping accusations, I've been hearing them for 10 years. I've already got used to them."