Polls open in Belarus presidential election: state TV

MINSK: Polls opened Sunday in Belarus' presidential election setting incumbent fourth-term candidate Alexander Lukashenko against an array of nine opposition candidates, state television said.

The polling stations are to stay open until 1800 GMT when exit polls are expected to give an immediate indication of the voting trend, Nikolai Lozovik of the Belarus' central election commission said in televised comments.

Lukashenko has been at the helm of this poor ex-Soviet state for the past 16 years and is widely expected to sail to victory, extending his grip on power for another five years.

The main uncertainty is whether the opposition will manage to bring significant numbers of supporters out onto the streets for protests Sunday night.