Parliamentary Election in Belarus Scheduled for Late September

Term of office of the both houses of the Belarusian “parliament” – the “council of the republic” and the “house of representatives” expires this year. The election is to be held not later than on 12 October. But taking into consideration that the Constitution allows the opportunity of two tours of election, the most probable time for election is late September. Thus, the election campaign can start in late June this year.

It was the topic of the today’s meeting of Alyaksandr Lukashenka and Lidia Yarmoshina, head of the Belarusian Central Election Committee. According to the official media, “some conceptual issues of parliamentary election” were discussed at the meeting.

“Head of state emphasised the international observers would be invited to the election. In the volume and amount the international organisations, involved into the election: OSCE, CIS, who send their missions as a rule, think fit. They won’t be restricted in their amount,” Lukashenka’s press service noted.

It should be reminded that Lidia Yarmoshina was included into the list of officials, banned to entry the EU countries, for rigging the parliamentary election-2004.

The Belarusian opposition insists on holding the election in democratic conditions:

“Only when it is possible to win the vote, one has a reason to participate. And in conditions of Belarus the only possible way to win is when the regime would fulfil the 12 conditions of the EU. That is why the European Belarus campaign is a preparation to the elections in terms of demanding sensible conditions for free elections and release of all political prisoners,” told Viktar Ivashkevich, one of the leaders of the Belarusian Popular Front party, commenting the attitude of the campaign European Belarus towards participation in parliamentary elections.

“If the authorities don’t settle for democratisation of the country, if they prepare an election farce instead of real election, then our poll, which will be organised in different forms: rallies, votes collecting, press publications, will be an alternative to the electoral farce,” Viktar Ivashkevich stressed.