Belarus security forces say they have uncovered a plot to seize control of the government on the day of the March 19 presidential elections.
Belarus security (KGB) chief Stepan Sukhorenko says officials found fake exit polls from an unregistered non-governmental organization to be released by the opposition election day. He says the polls showed opposition candidate Alexander Milinkevich beating incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko by approximately 54 percent to 41 percent.
Sukhorenko says the opposition planned to detonate explosives in a crowd of their own supporters as they protested what the opposition would insist were fraudulent official election results.
Mr. Lukashenko is running for a third term. The United States has branded him Europe's last dictator for suppressing human rights and free speech.
Milinkevich says he has planned a rally Thursday in Minsk without the permission of authorities.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.