BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

22/02/2006

Belarus's Milinkevich Prefers Fair Election To Street Revolution

22 February 2006 -- Belarus's main opposition hopeful, Alyaksandr Milinkevich, says he does not want to see a Ukrainian- or Georgian-style revolution after presidential elections next month.

Fielding questions from voters on Belarusian television, Milinkevich said the only thing his coalition of opposition groups is demanding is that the election be honest and carried out according to the law.

He said that "voters would only go onto the streets to defend their honor," as citizens did in Georgia in 2003 and Ukraine in 2004.

Correspondents say Milinkevich faces long odds in unseating incumbent Alyaksandr Lukashenka in the 19 March vote.

Lukashenka is running for a third term in office. The United States and European Union say they doubt the election will be free or fair.

(AFP)

Source:

http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2006/02/5BE72315-6E9F-440D-8856-F17EBDB6A6AD.html

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