Belarus hopes for better ties with West

Belarus, once described by Washington as Europe's last dictatorship, voted yesterday in a parliamentary election that President Alexander Lukashenko said would lead to better relations with the West.

"If the election goes smoothly, the West will recognise Belarus," a beaming Mr Lukashenko said after voting.

"Dictator? Last dictator? Fine, let it be so," he said, referring to the label applied by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in 2005. "You wouldn't have seen the last dictator had you not come here," he said in a jokey exchange with reporters, his younger son Nikolai at his side. Mr Lukashenko, accused of flouting fundamental rights during 14 years in power, has freed political prisoners and eased curbs on the opposition, which was shut out of the outgoing 110-member Parliament.

His opponents this time have been allowed to put forward some 70 candidates and hope to win up to 30 seats. But they do not trust that Mr Lukashenko's reforms are for real.

"Of course the Central Election commission and officials in polling stations are now nicer, they do not seek confrontation," said Alexander Kozulin, an opposition leader freed from jail last month, told reporters after voting. "But this is all superficial, it does not change the basic problems."