Candidates’ registration

The situation has not changed

Registration by the party lists enabled to ensure a large number of party candidates and thus indicated some progress in the electoral process. However, regardless of the number of registered party candidates, in some regions, their public weight is extremely low, which only emphasizes their nominal status in the campaign.

By August 25^th, there were 363 registered candidates. Among registered candidates are: BPF and UCP leaders, Aliaksey Yanukevich and Anatoly Lebedko, former MPs Valery Frolov and Vladimir Navasyad, Deputy Chairman of the Belarusian Popular Front Grigory Kostusev and Alexander Streltsov.

The highest number of candidates is traditionally in Minsk: 87 candidates in 20 constituencies. In other regions, the situation is as follows:

Minsk Region: 17 constituencies, 43 candidates.

Brest Region: 16 constituencies, 50 candidates.

Vitebsk Region: 14 constituencies, 48 candidates.

Gomel Region: 17 constituencies, 55 candidates.

Grodno Region: 13 constituencies, 34 candidates.

Mogilev Region: 13 constituencies, 46 candidates.

List of registered candidates is available at: http://www.vybory2012.by/index.html

and http://opendata.by/?p=1784#more-1784

A characteristic feature of this election campaign is that most of the party candidates did not collect signatures, and were nominated via conventions. This is due to the lack of resources and to the fact that some parties have decided to withdraw their candidates before voting, the UCP and the BPF in particular.

The highest rate of opposition candidates’ non-registration was in Minsk. In some regions, for example, in the Gomel region, all nominees by the opposition parties have been registered as candidates. This is due to higher transparency of the electoral procedures in the regions, as compared with Minsk, as well, registration of opposition candidates who do not have enough observers is not a serious threat to the current government.

Activity of the candidates from “Belaya Rus” (66 candidates and potentially the largest mass fraction in the future parliament) and the Liberal Democratic Party (71 candidates) should be marked too. Perhaps, such activity of the LDP will be distinguished and the party will receive a minimum quota to get into the Parliament.