Minsk: The Belarussian parliament on Tuesday set October 11 as the date for a presidential election that is expected to see strongman Alexander Lukashenko extend his two-decade-long grip on power.
Lukashenko, 60, has been in power since 1994 and is widely expected to contest -- and win -- the polls.
He unleashed a crackdown on the opposition after winning presidential polls in December 2010 despite major protests, sparking an international outcry.
Hundreds of people were arrested after tens of thousands of outraged voters protested in the capital Minsk on election day.
Seven of the nine challengers to Lukashenko were also arrested.
Seven people including opposition leader Anatoly Lebedko have declared readiness to run in the presidential poll.
Shunned by the West, Belarus remains financially dependent on former master Russia but Lukashenko has been overseeing an explosion of patriotism in his country amid the conflict in Ukraine.
In recent months the country of 9.5 million, which borders both Russia and the European Union, has sought to distance itself from Moscow by embracing its national identity, language and culture.
Russian remains by far the most widely-spoken language and the country`s distinctive Slavic tongue is often sidelined.
But increasing numbers of Belarussians have been signing up for Belarussian language courses, holding ethnic-style weddings, and donning national dress.
Lukashenko`s government routinely faces international criticism over its rights record, with Belarus remaining the only country in Europe to exercise the death penalty.
