Deputies approved the amendments to the electoral legislation

As it was expected, the House of Representatives deputies approved amendments to the legislation on conducting elections and referendums in Belarus.

The House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus passed the draft law “Concerning amendments and additions to some laws of the Republic of Belarus on conducting elections and referendums” in the first reading on 2 October, BelTA says.

The document envisages single-ballot elections to the House of Representatives with the results based on the principle of simple majority. The draft law also provides for alterations to the system of election commissions. Minsk and oblast election commissions will join the Central Election Commission, district and precinct election commissions.

In line with the bill, expenses associated with electoral campaigns of candidates will no longer be financed out of the budget. Instead, this responsibility will be transferred to local territorial and precinct election commissions that will print information leaflets and send them to voters together with the invitation to visit polling stations. Presidential and parliamentary candidates will retain the right for the free airtime and print space at state-run media outlets to make a media appearance, take part in debates and publish platforms.

Candidates’ individual campaign funds are to be increased. Financial funds for presidential candidates will make up 3,000 to 9,000 basic amounts (one basic amount is now Br130,000). Financial funds for candidates to local councils of deputies will be introduced as well. The limit on campaign funds for parliamentary candidates is expected to stay unchanged and will make up 1,000 basic amounts.

Boycotting, cancelation or rescheduling of the date of elections or referendums will be prohibited during election and referendum campaigns.

Addressing the Belarusian MPs on 2 October, Chairperson of the Central Election Commission of Belarus Lidzija Jarmoshyna noted that the elections to the House of Representatives would be considered valid with over 50% of voters attending polling stations. If one candidate is nominated in a particular precinct, the election will be valid if he/she takes more than half of the votes at the precinct.

The draft law will provide for some changes into the order of appealing against decisions of district commissions denying registration of initiative groups or parliamentary candidates. Complaints will be lodged with oblast election commissions (and the election commission in Minsk). The matter concerns only parliamentary elections.

Speaking about personal financial funds, Lidzija Jarmoshyna explained that if the law takes effect, presidential candidates may form such funds at the amount of up to Br1.17 billion. In her words, in Kyrgyzstan and Armenia, for instance, such funds can be as high as $1 million. “As you see our sum is moderate,” the CEC head stressed. Lidzija Jarmoshyna added that it is wrong to think that by increasing funds the state “gives the elections away to the hands of the rich”. She explained: “We are giving the elections to the hands of hard-working successful people.”

According to the CEC head, during the local elections in 2010 candidates used about 87% of the allocated funds, candidates to the Minsk City Council – 90%, while candidates to rural councils – 12%. “On the one hand, there are budgetary funds, but they are not used and the voters are not informed properly,” Lidzija Jarmoshyna said pointing to the candidates who make the use of just a small part of the funds allocated from the budget.

Apart from that, Lidzija Jarmoshyna stressed that biographies of candidates are to contain information on the previous criminal record. Candidates are also to file income declarations in case of no permanent employment.

As for the ban on boycotts, Lidzija Jarmoshyna emphasized: “The ban covers all the participants of the election and referendum campaigns.”