BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

13/02/2006

Belarus - Lukashenko seeks yet another term

Election Date: March 19, 2006

At stake: President

Background

(Angus Reid Global Scan) - Belarus seceded from the Soviet Union in 1991. Three years later, independent candidate Aleksandr Lukashenko won the presidential election, boosted by his popularity after acting as chairman of an anti-corruption parliamentary committee. In 1995, Lukashenko pushed for a referendum on a new state flag and the restoration of Russian as one of the country's official languages.

A new plebiscite in 1996 increased Lukashenko's clout over the legislative branch. In September 2001, the incumbent earned a new term as president. International observers pointed out that the conditions were not particularly fair in the ballot.

The administration's human rights record has been severely criticized internationally. In 2002, the United States and 14 members of the European Union (EU) called for a travel ban on Lukashenko and other government ministers. The veto was lifted in April 2003, but both the U.S. and the EU remain critical of Belarus.

In October 2004, Belarusian voters renewed their legislative branch and participated in a referendum to remove an article in the constitution that limits presidents to two consecutive five-year terms.

In May 2005, U.S. president George W. Bush referred to Belarus as "the last remaining dictatorship in Europe," adding, "When the elections come, make sure the elections are free, and have monitors and international observers. As you know, that made a big difference in the Ukraine."

2006 Presidential Election

On Jan. 30, the Central Election Commission (CEC) announced that four persons had filed their paperwork to run as candidates in the Mar. 19 presidential election. Along with incumbent Aleksandr Lukashenko, three other contenders-Aleksandr Milinkevich of the United Democratic Opposition, Sergei Gaidukevich of the Liberal Democratic Party, and Aleksandr Kozulin of the Social Democratic Party-have been registered.

In January, Lukashenko issued a warning to foreign countries about outside interference in the election, declaring, "The embassies should know that they can be out of here at 24 hours' notice and no one will help them."

Each candidate must submit a list with 100,000 signatures in support of their nomination. Two other prospective contenders-Aleksandr Voitovich and Zenon Pozniak-abandoned the race in the early stages, citing concerns about fairness. Voitovich-a scientist-said he did not want to "create illusions for electors that the participation of Lukashenko in the election is legal, and that the election would be held in correspondence with the Constitution and the Electoral Code."

In early February, the Council of Europe urged the Belarusian government to take concrete measures to allow news broadcasts from different sources, and asked the president to review the structure of local election commissions to ensure fairness and balance.

On Feb. 4, the U.S. State Department announced that a high-profile visit to Belarus by U.S. and European Union (EU) officials had been cancelled because Belarusian authorities did not issue the proper travel permits. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack declared, "We both believe that it is vital that the presidential election be conducted in a free and fair manner."

Political Players

President: Aleksandr Lukashenko

Prime minister: Sergey Sidorski

The president is elected to a five-year term by popular vote.

Legislative Branch: The Nacionalnoje Sabranie (National Assembly) has two chambers. The Palata Predstaviteley (House of Representatives) has 110 members elected to four-year terms in single-seat constituencies. The Soviet Respubliki (Council of the Republic) has 64 members, 56 members indirectly elected and eight members appointed by the president.

Results of Last Election:

President - Sept. 9, 2001

Vote%

Aleksandr Lukashenko 75.6%

Vladimir Goncharik 15.4%

Sergei Gaydukevich - Liberal-Democratic Party of Belarus (LDP) 2.5%

House of Representatives - Oct. 17, 2004

Seats

Communist Party (KPB) 8

Agrarian Party (APB) 3 Liberal-Democratic Party (LDP) 1

Independents / Non-partisans 95

Source:

http://www.angus-reid.com/tracker/index.cfm/fuseaction/viewItem/itemID/10803