Belarusian CEC: Repeated Elections Possible :: Charter'97 :: News

“One should not confuse the date of election day and the date of president’s,” said Mikalay Lazovik, the Central Election Committee secretary in his interview to the BelaPAN, commenting on the reaction to the interview of the CEC head Lidziya Yarmoshyna to the “Zvyazda” newspaper on August 31.

L.Yarmoshyna, in particular, hold out the prospect that the presidential elections to take place on July 16, 2006. It caused a negative reaction of some experts who believe that L.Yarmoshyna indirectly admitted that there would be only one round of elections, as holding the second round of elections after July 20 would violate the requirements of Constitutions on electing a president (not later than two months before expiry of the term of the previous head of state).

“It’s a mistake”, Lazavik said. “Constitution or Electoral Code does not require electing president not later than two months before expiry of the term of the previous head of state. The elections could have one or two rounds, and there could be repeated elections. And in Ukraine they had even a third round not provided by law”.