On November 15, Minsk / Ekaterina Nechaeva - BELTA /. The speeches of presidential candidates will be broadcast on television and radio from November 22 to December 3. This was announced today by the Chairperson of the Central Commission for Elections and Republican Referendums, Lidiya Yermoshina, at a meeting with international observers from the OSCE/ODIHR, according to a BELTA correspondent. According to Lidiya Yermoshina, after the registration of candidates, a draw will be held to determine the time slot for each candidate's speech. The Chairperson of the Central Election Commission emphasized that during the current election campaign, the National State Television and Radio Company has been able to provide candidates with better airtime. Thus, their television appearances will be broadcast from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM on weekdays, precisely when most voters, having returned home from work, turn on their televisions. On the radio, candidates will speak from 6:00 AM to 7:10 AM, a period when most people listen to the radio at home in the kitchen before leaving for work. Lidiya Yermoshina believes that the time slots chosen this time are more preferable compared to 2006, when candidates spoke from 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM on the radio and from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM on television. The Chairperson of the Central Election Commission recalled that this year, for the first time in Belarus, the opportunity for candidates to participate in televised debates is provided. Responding to a question from a BELTA correspondent about a possible change in the format of the televised debates and their broadcast live rather than recorded, as planned, Lidiya Yermoshina said that this issue is currently being discussed with representatives of the National State Television and Radio Company, and by November 26 (the deadline for candidates to apply for participation in televised debates), "all organizational issues will be resolved." -0-

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