Belarus parliamentary election date may be set for 11 September

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko supported the proposal to hold the election to the House of Representatives of the National Assembly on 11 September, Lidia Yermoshina told media after the meeting with the head of state.

"Today we discussed the optimal date for the election. The President agreed that it will be 11 September. The election campaign shall commence no later than 10 June. However, the head of state agreed that the decree announcing the date of the election should be signed somewhat earlier. Therefore, it is expected that the election campaign will start three days before the deadline, namely on 7 June this year. On 8 June the Central Election Commission plans to approve the plan of organizational actions, the electoral budget, and the boundaries of constituencies," Lidia Yermoshina informed.

"Before the official appointment of the election we are restricted in our actions. The only event that the Central Election Commission is planning is the adoption of the guidelines for precinct, district and territorial election commissions. We are planning to do in the mid-May so that all organizers of the election, potential candidates should have the documents governing the electoral process before the election campaign starts," Lidia Yermoshina noted.

"These documents will partly take into account the OSCE proposals developed after the presidential election," she added.

With regard to the election to the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly, they are expected to be held from 18 June to 18 September this year. They are held in stages during a three-month period. "Every oblast and Minsk city shall determine independently the dates of meetings of deputies which will elect members of the Council of the Republic. It is just the period within which the elections are carried out in the territory of every region is one and the same for all regions," the CEC head noted.

The four-year term of the chambers of the National Assembly of Belarus of the fifth convocation begins from their first meetings and shall expire on 17 October 2016 for the House of Representatives (the first meeting was held on 18 October 2012) and 18 October 2016 for the Council of the Republic (the first meeting was held on 19 October 2012).

According to Article 84 of the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus, the elections to both houses of Parliament are called by the President.

The election of the new houses of Parliament shall be announced no later than four months and shall be held not later than 30 days prior to the expiration of the term of office of the houses of the current convocation.

BELARUSIAN NEWS