TIMELINE FOR 2008 BELARUSIAN PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MINSK 000111

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PINR PHUM BO
SUBJECT: TIMELINE FOR 2008 BELARUSIAN PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS


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Summary and Comment
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1. (SBU) Though only a presidential decree can set the date of
parliamentary elections in Belarus, thanks to various press
statements by Central Election Commission Chair Lidiya Yermoshina,
it is an open secret that these polls will be held on or about
September 28, 2008. According to Belarusian electoral law, other
events, such as candidate registration and the formation of precinct
electoral commissions, are keyed to the date of the election. To be
sure, Belarusian electoral law includes logical inconsistencies and
the implementation of this law depends on the whim of the regime.
That said, one can expect that deadlines will be pharisaically
observed in the evaluation of applications and claims made by the
opposition. Post offers the schedule that follows as a rough
timetable of events and deadlines related to the 2008 parliamentary
polls. A timetable for election day/post election-day procedures
will be submitted septel. (Note: Dates are calculated on the
assumption that the poll will be held as intimated September 28.
End note.) End summary and comment.


Elections Timetable
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2. (SBU) The electoral timetable is as follows.

-- NLT July 15: Formation of District Electoral Commissions

Oblast legislatures and oblast executive committees must form 9-13
member electoral commissions for each of Belarus' 110 parliamentary
electoral districts at least 75 days before the election is held.
Representatives of registered political parties, social
organizations and workers collectives can take part. A private
citizen can also be nominated to serve in this capacity; he or she
must secure the signatures of 100 voters from the district.

-- NLT July 17: Announcement of the Poll by Lukashenko

By law the president must announce the poll no later than four
months before the term of the previous parliament expires. The
previous parliament was sworn in November 17, 2004. In reality,
this announcement could come much earlier.

-- NLT July 22: The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) informs Central
Election Commission (CEC) of the List of Registered Parties with the
Right to Nominate Candidates

Within five days after the announcement of the election by the
president, the MOJ must submit a list to the CEC with the names of
all the parties that can submit candidates. Political parties must
be registered by the Ministry of Justice for six months prior to the
president's proclamation of the date of the election to be eligible
to nominate candidates.

-- NLT July 25: Registration of Citizen/Worker Initiatives

Initiative groups of at least ten citizens can form to nominate
candidates by collecting signatures. A would-be candidate must
register his or her initiative group with the district's electoral
commission no later than 65 days before the poll. The commission
has five days from the date of submission to rule on the application
of the initiative group. In the event of denial, the group can
appeal to the courts within three days. If the group is approved,
it is issued identification and signature lists on which it must
collect 1,000 signatures from voters within the electoral district
in order to draft a candidate.

-- July 20-August 19: Nomination of Candidates

In the period from seventy days to forty days prior to the election,
parties can nominate one candidate per electoral district from among
their own membership. This nomination must be submitted to the
district's electoral commission no later than August 19. In similar
fashion, initiative groups must submit their lists of 1,000 valid
signatures to district electoral commissions no later than August

19.

-- NLT August 14: Formation of Precinct Electoral Commissions

City and rayon executive committees must form 5-19 member precinct
electoral commissions at least 45 days before the poll. As with
district commissions, party members, representatives of social
organizations or workers' collectives, and private citizens can
serve as members. To be considered for membership in a precinct
electoral commission, private citizens must collect at least 10
signatures from voters.

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-- August 19-August 29: Registration of Candidates by District
Electoral Commissions

-- NET August 19: Registration of Candidates' Proxies

Candidates can submit lists of up to 15 proxies to district
electoral commissions for registration. Once a proxy list is
received, district electoral commissions have three days to confirm
them and to grant proxies identification. Proxies participate in
the electoral campaign, representing the candidate both to potential
voters and to state bodies.

-- August 19-September 10: Appeal in the Event of Denial of
Registration

In the event of denial of registration of a candidate, the would-be
candidate or party has three days within which to appeal the
decision to the CEC. The CEC has three days to rule on the appeal.
Likewise, a negative ruling by the CEC can be appealed within three
days to the Supreme Court of Belarus. The Supreme Court has three
days to rule and its decision is final.

-- NLT September 8: Candidates Submit their Campaign Programs to
the CEC

Registered candidates have the right to submit a two-page electoral
program or platform for publication in the state media. This must
be done no later than 20 days prior to the election.

-- NLT September 18: Voters Informed of the Polling Day

By law, voters must be informed of the date, time and precinct
location for the election at least ten days before the poll. This
is usually done by mail.

-- NLT September 23: Early Voting Begins

Voters who can not be present at the polls on election day, like
students and members of the military, are permitted to vote starting
no less than five days before the election. (Note: In practice the
government employs pressure and incentives to encourage a majority
of registered voters to turn out early. End note.) Polling
stations are open seven hours during each day, and must be attended
by two members of the precinct electoral commission.

-- September 28: Election Day

Stewart