Presidential election 2015 in Belarus

MINSK, 15 July (BelTA) – According to the latest information the Central Commission of the Republic of Belarus on Elections and Republican Referendums has received documents required to register three initiative groups for nominating presidential candidates, BelTA learned from the website of the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Belarus.

On 14 July Belarus’ CEC received documents for registering the initiative group to nominate Alexander Lukashenko as a presidential candidate. Mikhail Orda is the head of the group.

On 15 July Belarus’ CEC received documents for registering the initiative group of citizens that will collect voter signatures to nominate Sergei Kalyakin as a presidential candidate. His initiative group is led by Valery Ukhnalev. After that, documents were submitted for registering the initiative group to nominate Sergei Gaidukevich as a presidential candidate. Anatoly Khishchenko is the head of the group.

A session of Belarus’ Central Election Commission will be held on 17 July to decide on the registration of these groups and possibly other groups, which registration documents may be submitted soon. The same session is likely to discuss picketing for collecting voter signatures. At least 100,000 signatures are required to register a candidate. Belarus citizens are free to give their signatures to several candidates, however, they can give their signatures to a specific candidate only once.

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. An initiative group can include only voters, in other words, citizens of the Republic of Belarus, who are at least 18 years old. Citizens recognized by court as legally incompetent and citizens serving their sentence in penitentiary facilities are not allowed to take part in an election.

Apart from that, an initiative group has to include at least 100 people. 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.