Presidential election 2015 in Belarus

MINSK, 17 July (BelTA) – On 17 July the Central Election Commission of Belarus stopped taking applications for registering initiative groups to nominate candidates for the Belarus presidency, Belarus’ CEC representatives told BelTA.

On 17 July the CEC received documents required to register initiative groups to nominate Tamara Biryukova, Viktor Tereshchenko, Nikolai Ulakhovich, Alexander Yudayev. During the session on 17 July the CEC made decisions on some of the previously submitted applications. Three initiative groups were registered. Those will collect signatures to nominate Alexander Lukashenko, Sergei Kalyakin, and Sergei Gaidukevich as presidential candidates.

Belarus’ CEC has yet to decide on applications for registering initiative groups in support of Sergei Zablotsky, Irina Pershina, Zhanna Romanovskaya, Nikolai Statkevich, Andrei Konovets, Tatiana Korotkevich, and Anatoly Lebedko. In accordance with the legislation the Central Election Commission is expected to make such decisions within five days after the documents to register an initiative group are submitted. The decision on registering these groups or not will be made on 20 July.

The CEC will refuse to register an initiative group if regulations of the Electoral Code are violated. The person willing to become a presidential candidate can appeal against the CEC's refusal to register the initiative group. The appeal has to be filed with the Supreme Court within three days of the CEC's decision to refuse registration.

Voter signatures will be collected from 23 July through 21 August. At least 100,000 signatures are needed for a candidate to get registered. Belarus citizens are free to give their signatures to several candidates, however, they can give their signatures to a specific candidate only once.

In order to collect signatures members of initiative groups will have to have an identification document issued by the Central Election Commission and a personal identification document. These documents have to be produced to the voters. Signatures can be collected via picketing. No permission to picket is necessary if picketing takes place in locations other than those recognized by municipal authorities as unacceptable for picketing. Signatures can be collected from military personnel in Belarusian army units upon approval of the commander of the specific army unit during off-hours at the location specified by the unit commander. In order to collect signatures in a hall of residence members of initiative groups will have to observe visitor rules of the specific hall of residence.

Citizens cannot be forced to sign or be rewarded for signing. Rewards are recognized as money, gifts, other material values, discounts on prices for merchandise or preferential prices for services. The administration of an organization cannot be involved in signature collection during business hours.

Citizens, who are nominated as presidential candidates, cannot order persons in their employ to collect signatures during business hours. Signatures cannot be collected during business trips. Members of initiative groups cannot give away printed materials to voters during signature collection. Information materials containing biographic data about the persons that citizens sign up for can be provided to voters only for reading and have to be returned afterwards.

Coordinators of initiative groups will have to submit signature lists to the relevant election commissions on 21 August 2015 at the latest.

A person, who is born as a citizen of the Republic of Belarus, is at least 35 years of age, is entitled to vote, and has lived in Belarus for at least ten years right before the election, can run for the presidency. Persons with a previous conviction cannot run for the presidency.

Citizens recognized by court as legally incompetent and citizens serving their sentence in penitentiary facilities are not allowed to take part in an election.