MINSK - Loyal supporters of President Alexander Lukashenko set up a new breakaway parliament in Belarus yesterday, formalising a split in the legislature over Sunday's referendum on extending his powers.
The split left the former Soviet republic of 10 million people with two rival parliaments, each claiming legitimacy. But the numbers and the political momentum appeared to be in Mr Lukashenko's favour after his crushing victory in the vote, which critics said was fraudulent.
