Belarus opposition leader says country beset by fear

Belarus's main opposition hopeful, facing long odds in his poll challenge to President Alexander Lukashenko, said the ex-Soviet state was beset by fear but change must come by strictly peaceful protest.

Alexander Milinkevich, one of two opposition runners trying to unseat Lukashenko after 12 years in office, lies far behind in opinion polls and scarcely gets a mention in the state media.

Despite Lukashenko dominating airwaves ahead of polling day on March 19, voters are starting to show an interest in change.

Belarussians, their country sandwiched between Russia and new EU member Poland, have long had a reputation as reserved, committed workers not given to excesses.

Voters mostly passed their questions to the front the hall on scraps of paper. Western countries accuse Lukashenko of running roughshod over all opponents, closing down independent newspapers and systematically rigging elections. He has pledged this contest will be clean, but faces new sanctions from the United States and European Union if international observers rule otherwise.

Milinkevich says some of his campaign workers have been arrested, while others have had their homes searched. But he assured uneasy voters there will be none of the turmoil that helped remove unpopular governments in Georgia and Ukraine.

At Milinkevich's rally, a local official took the floor and defended the government's course and said Lida, a neat town 50 km from the Polish border had done well, with foreign investment helping local firms.

His speech was met by jeers from the audience, but all remained in their seats and Milinkevich told them to respect the opinions of all. A woman in her 40s then seized the microphone and shattered the calm tone of the meeting with a tirade against officials.