(23 Nov 1996) T/I 10:56:40
The troubled republic of Belarus looked likely to plunge back into crisis on Saturday (23/11) as a bitter tug-of-war between its president, Alexander Lukashenko, and the parliament continued.
Despite a deal brokered on Friday (22/11) by Russian prime minister, Victor Chernomyrdin, Lukashenko told the Interfax news agency that a controversial referendum on Sunday (24/11) - increasing his power over parliament and extending his mandate by two years - must have legal force.
In return for parliament dropping impeachment proceedings against him,
Lukashenko had previously agreed that Sunday's poll would be only consultative and not binding.
SHOWS:
MINSK, BELARUS, 23/11
Exterior Belarus parliament building;
CU flag;
guards walking past statue;
WS press conference;
RUSSIAN SOT, Speaker of the Belarus parliament, Semyon Sharetsky: "Today I wrote a letter in which I asked the Constitutional Court to consider that the request to cancel the impeachment of the President is not binding and to ask the Constitutional Court to examine the situation which has occurred since then."
WS press conference;
RUSSIAN SOT, Sharetsky, continues: "Like he seized power before, he once more is using lies. It's his favourite method starting from the moment when he was a presidential candidate.";
CA cameras;
Exterior building.
Runs 2.11
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