Belarus to elect members of Council of the Republic on 4 April

Members of the Council of the Republic are elected from each region and the city of Minsk by local councils of deputies and the Minsk city council of deputies. The election procedure is laid out in the Electoral Code of Belarus.

The Central Election Commission provided some details about the election process.

“Grassroot-level local councils of deputies hold a meeting to hear out findings of the Central Election Commission on whether candidates nominated to the Council of the Republic from the corresponding region are eligible for this post. The Central Election Commission announces their registration. Next, candidates deliver a program speech and answer questions from deputies. Each deputy participating in the meeting has the right to ask questions, share their opinions, and speak in favor or against a candidate,” the CEC explained.

All nominated candidates, with the exception of those who withdrew, are put on the ballot for secret voting. To be elected to the Council of the Republic, a candidate should receive more than half of the votes of the deputies who took part in the voting.

Within two days after the meeting, the first copies of the document approving the voting results, the minutes of the meeting of the counting commission and the list of the deputies who took part in the meeting are forwarded to the Central Election Commission.

Based on these documents, the Central Election Commission certifies the results of the voting, registers the elected members of the Council of the Republic from the regions and the city of Minsk, and issues each of them a certificate.

The next meeting of the Central Election Commission of Belarus will take place on 9 April. Participants of the meeting will review the results of the elections and set the date of the first meeting of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the eighth convocation.