Party nominees make up 18.8% of Belarus’ territorial election commissions

MINSK, 9 July (BelTA) – Candidates nominated by political parties make up 18.8% of the composition of territorial election commissions, Secretary of the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Belarus Nikolai Lozovik told BelTA commenting on the preparation for the election to the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus. Some political parties were particularly active. For example, A Just World nominated almost as many candidates as the public association Belaya Rus and the BRSM Youth Union. These organizations nominated 110 and 108 people respectively, or 5.2% and 5.1% of all nominees. A Just World nominated 88 people or 4.1%, Nikolai Lozovik informed. “So far they are going head-to-head, although Belaya Rus and BRSM have hundreds of thousands of members, while A Just World’s membership is not so big,” he said. As for other political parties and NGOs, the statistics is as follows: Belarusian Agrarian Party nominated 20 people, or 0.9% of all candidates to territorial election commissions; Belarusian Green Party nominated 5 people or 0.2%; Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Gramada) nominated 6 people or 0.3%; Belarusian Social-Sport Party nominated 17 people, or 0.8%; Communist Party of Belarus nominated 94 people, or 4.4%; Liberal Democratic Party nominated 9 people, or 0.4%; United Civic Party nominated 34 people, or 1.6%; Belarusian Social Democratic Gromada nominated 9 people or 0.4%; Belarusian Popular Front nominated 48 people or 2.3%; Republican Party nominated 14 people, or 0.7%; Republican Party of Labor and Justice nominated 49 people, or 2.3% Social Democratic Party of Popular Accord nominated 7 people, or 0.3%; The Belarusian Public Association of Veterans nominated 98 people, or 4.6%; the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus nominated 279 people, or 13.1%; other public associations nominated 263 people, or 12.4%. Nikolai Lozovik informed that only two parties registered in Belarus did not nominate their candidates to territorial election commissions. Those are the Belarusian Patriotic Party and the Conservative Christian Party of the Belarusian Popular Front led by Zenon Poznyak. “The Belarusian Union of Women did not nominate their representatives, either. As far as I know, they did not have time to hold a session of the union’s leaders. It is possible that the Patriotic Party did not nominate their candidates for the very same reason. As for Poznyak’s party, they stick to their old strategy, that is boycotting elections,” Nikolai Lozovik said. All in all, 2,127 people were nominated to the composition of territorial election commissions. Political parties and other public associations nominated about 60% of all candidates. About 30% of candidates were suggested by individuals by filing applications. Labor collectives put forward 10.8% candidates. On 9 July presidiums of regional councils of deputies and executive committees will hold sessions to finalize the composition of territorial election commissions. A total of 110 commissions will work at the forthcoming parliamentary election, including 20 in Minsk, 17 in Minsk Oblast and Gomel Oblast each, 16 in Brest Oblast, 14 in Vitebsk Oblast, 13 in Mogilev Oblast and Grodno Oblast each.

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