Kuley greet their supporters on a main square in central Minsk
Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko swept back into office today in an election that was condemned by independent observers, ignited new opposition protests and set the United States and Russia at odds.
Several thousand people, defying warnings by Mr Lukashenko's state security forces, massed in freezing weather in a central square after an appeal by opposition rival Alexander Milinkevich, who called for a re-run of the vote.
Opposition leader Alexander Milinkevich
"We must stay here while we have the strength to do so. We must stay until victory," Mr Milinkevich told 7,000 supporters. But as the evening wore on, the crowd - already smaller than the protest when polls closed yesterday - began thinning out.
Mr Lukashenko, in power since 1994, has been described as Europe's last dictator, defended his re-election - officially by a tally of 82.6 per cent of the vote - as "honest and democratic" Mr Milinkevich scored about 6 per cent.
Mr Lukashenko told a news conference that a pro-Western revolution, like those that swept away entrenched establishments in ex-Soviet Ukraine and Georgia, had been stopped in its tracks.
But the outcome, never in doubt given the tight control Mr Lukashenko exerts over the media and all aspects of political life, put Washington and Moscow at variance.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, for whom the arrival in power of pro-Western leaders in Georgia and Ukraine has highlighted Moscow's declining influence in former Soviet territory, quickly congratulated Mr Lukashenko.
"The results of the election testify to the fact that the voters trust in your course," Mr Putin said.
Within minutes, the United States denounced his victory and said the election had been conducted in a "climate of fear". "We support the call for a new election," said White House spokesman Scott McClellan.
Earlier, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation (OSCE ) in Europe said the election did not meet "required international standards for free and fair elections".
"The arbitrary abuse of state power, obviously designed to protect the incumbent president, went far beyond acceptable practice," Europe's largest rights and security body, said in a statement.
Speaking as EU foreign ministers met to discuss the result, EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said it was likely that the EU would impose sanctions of some sort but not necessarily economic.
While Ms Ferrero-Waldner said an extension visa bans would likely be part of the EU response Poland called for more punitive action.
"We will propose the strengthening of sanctions. It is evident that Belarus elections were not free and democratic. The EU must act," Poland's deputy foreign minister, Stanislaw Komorowski, said.