Exiled opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya tells AFP that "nobody will recognise this sham" as Belarus is gearing up for presidential elections at the end of January. In Warsaw, Tikhanovskaya also urges Belarusians to wait for a "window of opportunity" to ignite change, adding that "many people around Lukashenko are not happy with him." Belarus, a key ally of Russia, has been ruled since 1994 by Alexander Lukashenko, who has eliminated all forms of opposition and jailed hundreds of critics and protesters. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES