Election commissions of the Republic of Belarus

The CEC session

The elections of the President of the Republic of Belarus, members of the House of Representatives and local Councils of Deputies are held by election commissions.

The commissions are independent from state bodies in their mandate and are not bound by the decisions of political parties and other public associations.

Decisions of the commissions taken within the scope of their authority are mandatory for all the state bodies, political parties, other public associations, organizations, as well as citizens.

Decisions of the higher ranking commissions taken within the scope of their responsibility should be fulfilled by subordinate commissions.

Central Election Commission on Elections and Republican Referenda of the Republic of Belarus

The Central Election Commission is a state body that holds presidential elections, elections of delegates for the Belarusian People’s Congress, elections of members of the House of Representatives and the Council of the Republic, members of local councils of deputies and national referendums.
 
Major responsibilities of the Central Election Commission:

• it is responsible for the preparation and conduct of elections and national referendums;
• it oversees compliance with electoral laws and explains how these laws should be implemented;
• to distribute the media air time during the election campaign;
• it controls the use of funds provided by the national budget, extra-budgetary funds and election funds of candidates;
• to sum up the outcome of elections, referenda;
• to study petitions on decisions of the election commissions, commissions on referenda, commissions on holding of voting on recall of deputies and to take decisions on them.

Upon registration, a presidential candidate can send a commission member to the Central Election Commission to perform consulting functions.

Commissions for the elections of the President of the Republic of Belarus, district, territorial, precinct commissions

Local election commissions are formed by local executive and representative bodies within 75 to 85 days prior to elections (precinct commissions – within 45 days).

Members of the commission are nominated by political parties, public associations, labor collectives as well as citizens.

As a rule, at least one third of members of commissions should be made up of representatives of political parties and public associations. The number of government employees should not exceed one third of the commissions. Judges, prosecutors, heads of local executive and regulatory bodies cannot serve as election commission members.

Political parties, public associations, labor collectives of organizations or their structural divisions can nominate only one person from among their members/employees to a respective territorial, district and precinct election commission. Citizens can do the same by submitting an application.

print version

make home page

add to bookmarks