Events

MINSK, 12 January (BelTA) – The nomination of candidates to local councils of deputies of Belarus will be held from 12 January to 10 February, BelTA has learnt.

Candidates can be nominated by political parties, labor collectives and citizens by means of signature collection. Structural subdivisions of political parties can put forward candidates to respective councils of deputies: oblast subdivisions to oblast councils, district subdivisions to district councils, city subdivisions to city councils.

Labor collectives can also nominate candidates. However, to be entitled to put forward their candidates to oblast councils and the Minsk City Council of Deputies, companies should have at least 150 employees. To be able to suggest their candidates to city councils, companies need to have at least 75 employees. To nominate candidates to grassroots councils a labor collective needs to have at least 20 employees. A company can nominate only one candidate to a corresponding council of deputies. A company should be located on the territory of that particular constituency.

Candidates can be nominated through signature collection. The law requires candidates eyeing a seat in the Minsk City Council of Deputies and the oblast council to collect at least 150 signatures. Those seeking nomination to city councils should collect at least 75 signatures. Potential candidates wishing to be nominated to grassroots councils need to collect at least 20 signatures. Before collecting signatures, a potential candidate needs to register an initiative group. The procedure is spelt out in the legislation.

After the nomination period is over, the documents are forwarded to election commissions. People seeking nomination to grassroots councils do not need to present an income and property declaration. However, this requirement applies to all other potential candidates. If a potential candidate is not officially employed, he/she needs to indicate his/her source of subsistence in the declaration. All potential candidates will have to disclose all their previous criminal offences, even spent convictions.