Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 2 December (BelTA) – The forthcoming election campaigns in Belarus should demonstrate the true democracy. The statement was made by Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko on 2 December as he met with Chairwoman of the Central Election Commission (CEC) Lidia Yermoshina, the press service of the Belarusian leader told BelTA.

It was noted that three major election campaigns are supposed to take place in Belarus in the next few years. Belarus will arrange elections to the local councils of deputies in 2014, the presidential election in 2015, and the parliamentary elections in 2016.

“We should approach this stage of our state’s development quite seriously. The situation is not simple and our alternative politicians so to say, we don’t want to offend their foreign patrons, have great expectations regarding this period,” noted Alexander Lukashenko. “They plan that the elections to the local councils will signify some kind of a start, development, while the so-called democracy will reach the apogee during the presidential election with the parliamentary elections to crown it all”.

“Losing three years of the country’s development will be a catastrophe. Therefore, the elections will be very serious. We should prepare for the period seriously. And I would like these elections to demonstrate the true democracy. We should give everything to the nation for the people to make their choice of who will rule the nation and the state, how the state will develop and in what direction. It is my unwavering opinion,” stressed the Belarusian leader.

“If someone claims that we have already started preparations for the presidential election, then honestly speaking I have no idea about it. I would like you to tell me how things are going on in this election ‘market’ if we can call it that. But everything should be honest and fair. I expect it to be that way,” said the head of state.

Alexander Lukashenko remarked that the present head of the Central Election Commission will take care of the organization and the holding of the forthcoming political campaigns the way she had done in the past. “As usual you are responsible for them. Use whoever you need to organize and arrange these elections but there should be one person and one body responsible for holding the elections and declaring the results”.

As far as financing is concerned, the President warned that no spare money was available but those, who will be employed for the period, should be properly rewarded. “We should pay for the work of the people, who will take care of elections. But we shouldn’t keep people away from their primary jobs for a long time. Government agencies should do the bulk of the work. They should use the money the state budget allocates for their operation. And we should definitely pay handsomely to the people, who will be employed for the duration of the elections. If we want quality, we should pay for it. But there is no spare money,” noted the head of state.

The meeting of the Belarus President and the Chairwoman of the Central Election Commission touched upon the date for holding elections to the local councils of deputies. According to Lidia Yermoshina, their mandate will run out on 25 April and in line with the Constitution the next elections are supposed to be held at least 30 days before that date. Alexander Lukashenko approved of the idea to hold elections to the local councils of deputies on 23 March 2014.

Lidia Yermoshina also informed Alexander Lukashenko that alongside the elections to the local councils of deputies rerun elections will be held in Gomel-Novobelitsa electoral district No. 36 because no representative was elected there during the parliamentary elections in 2012.