{"id":116459,"date":"2024-12-03T13:06:35","date_gmt":"2024-12-03T10:06:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/116459\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","slug":"lawyer-pro-government-parties-not-allowed-to-dominate-territorial-election-commissions","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/116459\/","title":{"rendered":"Lawyer: pro-government parties not allowed to dominate territorial election commissions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

December 3, Pozirk<\/em>. <\/strong>Belarusian authorities limited the representation of pro-government parties on the territorial commissions formed for the upcoming presidential election on January 21-26 to keep even the loyal parties under full control, said lawyer \u015aviat\u0142ana Ha\u0142a\u016dniova.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Territorial commissions include more people from government-organized associations than from parties, reflecting a trend of \u201cartificial depoliticization,\u201d according to Ha\u0142a\u016dniova, who analyzes elections for the Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The central election commission approved 1,689 members of 153 territorial commissions on November 6, a day before the launch of the ballot-access signature collection. Pro-government parties and associations loyal to Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka account for 69 percent of their members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Commissions include 141 members of the pro-government Bie\u0142aja Ru\u015b party, 71 members of the pro-government Communist Party of Belarus, 42 members of the pro-government Republican Party of Labor and Justice, 17 members of the pro-government Liberal Democratic Party.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By contrast, approved members of public associations include 279 persons from the pro-government Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus, 131 members of the pro-government Belarusian Union of Women, 124 members of the pro-government Belarusian National Youth Union and 116 members of the pro-government Belarusian Association of Veterans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Women’s share in the district-level commissions is high “as always,” but it decreases at the regional level, Ha\u0142a\u016dniova noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authorities approved almost all nominees to the commissions, as was the case at the previous parliamentary and local elections, the lawyer added<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That proves the stage-managed character of the election, Ha\u0142a\u016dniova stressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0141uka\u0161enka, his supporters Aleh Hajdukievi\u010d, Alaksandar Chi\u017eniak, Siarhiej Syranko\u016d as well as former MP Hanna Kanapackaja intend to run for president in the seventh presidential election in Belarus. All presidential bidders in Belarus must garner at least 100,000 voter signatures before December 6 to qualify for the race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The country has not held a single free and fair election since 1996 by the standards of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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