How 2015 election will be different from election in 2020
Despite the same result, the presidential elections in Belarus are constantly evolving. The CEC spoke about how they will change this year.
Transparent boxes
"How are you doing about transparent ballot boxes? It would be necessary to increase their number. Where sites are located in the territory of enterprises, factories, it is possible. With schools, of course, it is more difficult. But it is possible," said the Chairwoman of the Central Election Commission, Lidziya Yarmoshyna, at an open meeting on 14 May.
She asked the heads of regional offices of the Central Election Commission to facilitate this as much as possible.
"Members of the public, including the opposition-minded, have asked us to do it. Therefore, it is necessary to do it," said the toughest lady in the Belarusian politics.
In practice, things are not so simple. All the heads of regional branches of the CEC complain that there is not enough money and the law does not oblige to do it. But they promise to try. At least they will urge factories and plants to help them. Pity is that their territory is about 10% of all polling stations across the country (the rest are in schools and cultural institutions). So there probably will not be a breakthrough even in Minsk. Although the idea seems to have captured the minds of the CEC leadership. "Where there is a will, there are funds. These wooden boxes are sometimes scary to look at," said Lidziya Yarmoshyna. Thank her for this.
The money for election campaigns
"We used to have public financing of the of candidates' election campaigns. Now we don't. However, candidates had their funds increased from 3,000 base units (currently 540 million rubles, or $37,500) to 9,000 (1 billion 620 million rubles)," said Lidziya Yarmoshyna.
So now each of the candidates will be able to officially and legally spend on their campaign about 113 thousand dollars. If they find this amount of money, of course.
In total, the presidential elections in Belarus this year will cost us 140 billion rubles (in May - about 10 million dollars). Most of this money will be used to pay the members of election commissions.
"There will be a lot of these people, all of them will work at the elections," said Yarmoshyna.
Campaigning at the railway station in Minsk will be banned
Lists locations where the future presidential candidate will not be able to campaign have slowly been drafted. It is primarily about underground passes (supposedly, campaigners are in the way of people), and some public places. In particular, in Minsk, campaigning at the railway station will be banned.
But it will be easier for candidates to pay campaigners. The official election fund can be set up immediately after the registration of the initiative group (previously - only after the registration of the candidate) and be used to pay people their salaries. "They used to pay before, but using some gray schemes. Now it can be done transparently," said Lidziya Yarmoshyna.
These are the changes. "You should follow the best democratic traditions!" Lidziya Yarmoshyna advised her subordinates. It is not clear if we should be happy about this promise or not.
The presidential election in Belarus will be (most likely) held on November 15. So far, the intention to participate in them has been stated by the brave Anatol Lyabedzka of the United Civil Party.
