THE European Union is set to provide cash for opposition parties in the former Soviet republic of Belarus.

Western leaders fear that president Alexander Lukashenko, widely regarded as Europe's last dictator, will attempt to influence next year's presidential election in order to stop pro-Western or pro-reform candidates taking power.
The move comes in the wake of the peaceful democratic revolutions in neighbouring Ukraine and nearby Georgia, which both saw corrupt governments ousted.

Last December, the opposition in Ukraine successfully challenged the result of a presidential election which was widely regarded as having been fiddled by the outgoing president in favour of his allies. Dirty tricks included an attempt to poison the main opposition leader, Viktor Yushchenko, and intimidation of campaign workers.

EU diplomats are considering direct funding to allow Belarus's opposition parties to compete with the pro-government campaign. If approved, it would mark a major shift in EU policy towards promoting democracy.

It would also mark a significant ramping up of pressure on the authorities in Minsk, but would risk antagonising Moscow. Russia has a close relationship with Belarus and is still smarting over what it sees as Western interference in Ukraine, which is looking to join the EU and Nato.