Presidential elections in Belarus may be scheduled during the spring session of parliament in 2020, said Lidiya Yarmoshyna, Chairperson of the Central Election Commission, on STV channel, as reported by BELTA.
Earlier, it was reported that presidential elections in Belarus would be held no later than August 30, 2020. "I think that after the parliamentary elections, I will definitely report to the Head of State. And together with the leadership of the parliament, who appoint the elections, we will discuss the most acceptable period and date for holding the presidential elections. I believe that in order not to convene an extraordinary session of parliament, the elections will not only be dated but also appointed during the spring session," said Lidiya Yarmoshyna.
She noted that by August 30, most voters are at their place of residence because the academic year begins on September 1. Furthermore, all educational institutions where polling stations are located have been repaired and are operational. In the opinion of the Chairperson of the Central Election Commission, this date is acceptable not only from an organizational point of view but also in terms of conducting election campaigning, as favorable conditions are created for outdoor events – pickets and rallies. "However, candidates might not be very satisfied with this date because many voters will be away during the election campaign period, perhaps on vacation," she added.
In his Address to the Belarusian people and the National Assembly, Alexander Lukashenko indicated that parliamentary elections in Belarus would be held in 2019. The Head of State suggested that November 7th would be a good date for these elections. However, this is a Thursday, and elections in Belarus are usually held on Sundays. "The electoral legislation only sets restrictions for Presidential elections: they must always be held on a Sunday. As for all other electoral campaigns and referendums, the day of the week for holding elections is not specified. But there might be another complication here. The Council of Ministers has rescheduled working days for that specific week: November 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th are non-working days, with compensatory work on November 16th. Many people will leave for these four days, which could negatively affect voter turnout. The Central Election Commission will propose another date, taking all these circumstances into account. I believe that a good, acceptable date that would suit all organizers is Sunday, November 17th, as November 16th is a working Saturday," noted Lidia Yermoshina.
She also spoke about the Central Election Commission's preparations for two electoral campaigns. "We are currently working with local authorities on the electoral district maps for the election of Members of Parliament. We have already prepared training instructions for the election commissions. In May, we will hold a meeting of the CEC, where we will approve draft resolutions and the average number of voters per electoral district, i.e., how many voters should reside in the territory of each electoral district on average," reported the Chairperson of the Central Election Commission.
"Our electoral legislation remains unchanged. I think that if anything is to be changed or improved in the resolutions of the Central Commission, it will concern election organizers and candidates for deputies. These could be some measures, certain actions, aimed primarily at increasing the transparency of the vote counting process and improving election observation," she said.
Lidia Ermoshina also touched upon the issue of amending the Constitution. "If amendments are made that require a referendum according to the Constitution, it will, of course, be held. And we have a majority of such sections. Therefore, I think that if the Constitution is to be changed, it is necessary to introduce amendments concerning the procedure for amending it. After all, it is now almost impossible for us to change anything through parliamentary means. Therefore, probably, the number of sections that can only be changed by referendum should be reduced for the future," she expressed her opinion.
News of Belarus (BELTA)