Speeches by candidates for deputies of the seventh convocation of the House of Representatives on TV and radio begin today, BELTA reports.
All candidates for Brest, Vitebsk, Gomel, Grodno and Mogilev regions, as well as for the city of Minsk, have been given the opportunity to speak on the TV channel "Belarus 3", and for Minsk region – on STV.
The speeches will be held on weekdays until November 6. The duration of each is limited to five minutes. On television, they will be broadcast during evening prime time – from 19:00 to 20:40. An exception is October 22 and 29, when airtime is provided from 19:00 to 19:30, taking into account the broadcast schedule of the TV channel "Belarus 3".
Radio speeches can be listened to from 7:00 to 8:00. Airtime for candidates running in Minsk will be provided by "Radio-Minsk", for Minsk region – by the radio station "Minskaya Volna". Those who will be nominated in other regions will be provided with time by the respective regional TV and radio companies.
The order of organisation and holding of debates, their dates and the host are determined by the TV and radio companies. Airtime is reserved at a rate of no more than five minutes per candidate.
Candidates for parliamentary seats have the right to publish their election programmes either in one of the republican newspapers ("Zvyazda", "Respublika"), or in the corresponding regional newspaper, or in the district, city newspapers published in their constituency. Candidates must submit the text to the media no later than October 27.
Elections to the House of Representatives are scheduled for November 17, and to the Council of the Republic – for November 7.