Opinions & Interviews

Belarus’ parliamentary candidates to go on the air on 20 October

MINSK, 14 August (BelTA) – Parliamentary candidates’ airtime addresses will be broadcast on radio and television starting from 20 October, Chairperson of the Central Election Commission (CEC) Lidia Yermoshina told the media at BelTA’s press center on 14 August.

“The addresses will be broadcast on weekdays starting from 20 October. Radio addresses will be aired from 7:00 to 8:00, television addresses will be shown from 19:00 to 20:00,” Lidia Yermoshina said.

Candidates seeking election in Minsk will be able to make use of airtime on the Belarus 3 TV channel. Candidates standing for election in Minsk Oblast will appear on the CTV channel. Those who will run for office in the regions will be offered airtime by regional television and radio companies. Radio addresses will be available only on state-run regional radio stations, namely Minskaya Volna for Minsk Oblast and Radio Minsk for Minsk.

As far as print media outlets are concerned, two nationwide newspapers – Zvyazda and Respublika – will provide space for candidates’ campaign programs. Earlier, it could be also done in Narodnaya Gazeta, but now this newspaper is published on a weekly basis, therefore it is impossible to post candidates’ programs in this media outlet. Regional newspapers (partially or fully subsidized by the state) and district and municipal newspapers might also offer space for candidates’ campaign programs.

The next session of the CEC is scheduled for 28 August. It will focus on media coverage of the campaign. The Media Supervisory Board will be established to review media-related disputes. The information minister received a tentative list of nominees to the board. The board will be chaired by First Deputy Information Minister Pavel Lyogky.

At the end of August, local authorities will decide on the public venues where signature collection will not be allowed. Lidia Yermoshina recalled that signatures can be collected in all locations except for those that are prohibited by local authorities. In addition, websites of local authorities launched a special column dedicated to the 2019 elections. These columns provide information on the time and place where nominees to district election commissions can submit their documents.

On 5 August Belarusian head of state Aleksandr Lukashenko signed Decree No. 293 and Decree 294 to set the dates for the elections to the Council of the Republic and the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus of the 7th convocation. They will be held on 7 and 17 November 2019 respectively. On 6 August the CEC approved the schedules of organizational activities to prepare for the parliamentary elections. Belarus’ CEC also launched the elections 2019 website to cover all the important events of the elections.

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