MOSCOW, March 13 (RIA Novosti) - An opposition candidate running in the presidential elections in Belarus issued a warning Monday about ballot-rigging at the March 19 vote and called for his supporters to take to the streets on election day.
"We are urging our supporters today to come on the streets on March 19," said Alexander Kozulin, the leader of the Social Democratic Party. "Many people will come, and not only in Minsk, but all around the country."
He said the protest would be peaceful unless the government provoked incidents.
According to the candidate, the authorities have already begun falsifying the election results, giving the incumbent president, Alexander Lukashenko, a landslide victory. Kozulin said he would win about 2% of the votes and another opposition candidate, Alexander Milinkevich, would take about 4%.
Kozulin, who has already had a run-in with the authorities, was quick to dispute this figure.
"Our preliminary data indicate that I have about 25%-30% of the votes," he said.
He also appealed to the Russian leadership to influence the situation and prevent the possible use of force during the elections.
On March 2, police in the Belarusian capital detained Kozulin as he was about to register for the All-Belarusian Assembly, a national gathering to identify the country's economic priorities for the next five years. Prosecutors said the candidate had pushed a policeman during registration and then damaged a picture of the president at the police station.
Kozulin was later released but is facing a fine, or one to two months of community service.
Belarus and its leader, Lukashenko, who Washington has dubbed "Europe's last dictator," have been continuously criticized by European officials highlighting massive human rights violations in the country.
