Belarus parliament elections

MINSK, 21 July (BelTA) - Nomination of candidates to the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus begins on 21 July and will last until 19 August, BelTA has learned.

Candidates to the upper house of Parliament are nominated by the base-level council of deputies and executive committees, and in the city of Minsk - by the presidium of the Minsk City Council of Deputies and Minsk City Hall. Candidates shall register with the Central Election Commission in the period from 20 till 24 August.

The elections of senators will be running from 25 August till 13 September. The senators are elected at meetings of the base-level local councils in every oblast and Minsk City Council of Deputies. Before the election the Central Election Commission shall determine the eligibility of the candidates to the Council of the Republic. The election results shall be finalized no later than 30 September.

Belarus’ Council of the Republic is a regional representative body with 64 members. Local councils elect 56 members: eight in every oblast and eight in Minsk. The Belarusian President appoints the final 8 members.

Candidates to the upper house must be at least 30 years old and resident in the relevant region of Belarus for at least 5 years, with no prior criminal records.

One and the same person may not simultaneously be a member of the two houses of Parliament or a member of the Council of the Republic and the Government.