Official results in Belarus' parliamentary election have delivered an overwhelming victory to parties allied to President Alexander Lukashenko, fulfilling a prediction by opposition groups that boycotted the vote amid claims it would again be rigged for the president.
Central Elections Commission Chairwoman Lidiya Yermoshina said on Monday that she had received a preliminary turnout figure of 74.3 per cent and downplayed more sceptical assessments by independent election observers, saying that only official turnout tallies would be considered.
There were no runoffs, and Yermoshina said that all but one of the 110 seats in parliament had been assigned. The vote was held on Sunday without the main opposition parties, which boycotted to protest the detention of political prisoners and election fraud.