Campaigning without propaganda

Election 2025: the most crucial stage of the electoral campaign is underway in Belarus

From the very first days of the new year, preparations for the country’s main political event — the Presidential election in the Republic of Belarus — have gained significant momentum: the campaigning period has begun. Precinct election commissions are also entering an active phase of their activities aimed at ensuring citizens’ electoral rights. From January 10th, every voter has the right to contact a precinct election commission to verify the information about themselves contained in the list of citizens eligible to participate in the election.

Stands of Presidential candidates for election 2025        Ilya Shvedko

Legal requirements and rights  

Belarus’ Central Election Commission (CEC) reminds that Presidential candidates may conduct electoral campaigning in forms specified by electoral legislation. This includes the production and distribution of campaign materials; holding mass events (outdoor meetings, rallies, and picketing); conducting meetings with voters; appearances in the media, as well as other forms not prohibited by law. 

However, the law prohibits the use of campaigning that promotes war, calls for the violation of the territorial integrity of our country, insults, or defamation against officials or other Presidential candidates. 

Decisions made by local executive and administrative bodies have designated special areas for placing campaign printed materials at each polling station. The text of such decisions is published on the official websites of local councils and executive committees.

They talk and show  

Last week, the Presidential candidates for Belarus began their election broadcasts on television and radio. According to a draw held earlier, on January 8th, the election speeches of Oleg Gaidukevich and Aleksandr Khizhnyak were aired on the First National Channel of the Belarusian radio. On January 10th and 15th, citizens heard the speeches of Anna Kanopatskaya and Sergei Syrankov, and on January 17th, they will again hear the speeches of Oleg Gaidukevich and Aleksandr Khizhnyak. All speeches, as required by law, are broadcast in the morning radio slot from 8am to 9am.  
The first Presidential candidate speeches on the Belarus 1 TV channel were shown on January 9th. Today, January 16th, viewers will once again be able to see these speeches in the evening television broadcast from 6pm to 8pm. The incumbent Head of State and Presidential candidate, Aleksandr Lukashenko, does not plan to make election speeches on TV and radio.  

Maximum transparency 

The number of national and international observers intending to work at the 2025 election continues to grow. As of January 8th, 2025, 28,330 national observers have been accredited by the territorial and precinct commissions for the Presidential election in Belarus.  
Additionally, as of January 8th, 2025, the Central Election Commission has accredited 362 foreign (international) observers, including representatives from foreign state electoral bodies (27 people), parliaments of CIS member states (3 people), the Secretariat of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (1 person), the Non-Aligned Movement Youth Organisation  (2 people), and independent observers (58 people). Two observer missions have also been sent to the country to monitor the Presidential election in Belarus: from the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation.
“The election is of great interest in the Commonwealth of Independent States, considering Belarus’ image on the international stage,” noted Leonid Anfimov, who heads the CIS observer mission headquarters, on January 9th. “We are interested in the election being held constructively, in a normal, law-abiding manner, without any excesses or upheavals,” the head of the mission remarked. “Everything is being done in Belarus to ensure that the country develops in the right direction and maintains the stability in society, the economy, and the social sphere. Belarus has overcome unprecedented sanctions and has not only managed to stand its ground but also to show good results in its economic and social development. I believe people see and appreciate this accordingly.” 

Map of Belarus with regions   SB.BY

WHAT’S NEXT 

The campaigning period, which kicked off on January 1st, will continue until January 25th inclusive. Early voting will commence on January 21st and will last until January 25th inclusive. Polling stations will be open from 12pm to 7pm without a lunch break during these days. The Presidential election in the Republic of Belarus is scheduled for January 26th, 2025.   
On January 24th, the CEC Information Centre, traditionally located in the Palace of the Republic, will start its work. On January 26th, the Information Centre will be broadcasting data on the voting process (at 11am, 1pm, 3pm, 5pm, 7pm, 9pm) with reports from the regions (according to a separate plan) and the public election observation centre.  
The Chairman of Belarus’ Central Election Commission, Igor Karpenko, noted at a press conference at the CEC on January 10th that experts, observers, and journalists would be working at the CEC Information Centre, “Around 600 representatives from foreign and national media outlets will participate in the work of the CEC Information Centre. On January 27th, the CEC will hold a press conference there to announce the preliminary results of the voting. Representatives from international observer missions, as well as other participants in foreign observation, will present their conclusions based on the monitoring outcomes.”

No complaints received by the Supreme Court regarding the Presidential election 

Valery Kalinkovich, First Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Court, informed journalists during a meeting between representatives of the CIS observer mission for the Presidential election in Belarus and the leadership of the Supreme Court on January 9th that the meeting addressed practical issues related to the application of the Belarusian electoral legislation, the role and place of judicial competence in electoral processes, as well as practical matters of interaction and information exchange necessary for both the observers and judicial authorities. “As for the judicial branch, courts are authorised to settle complaints and disputes in the field of electoral legislation that pertain to the key aspects of the electoral campaign. So far, no such complaints have been received during the current campaign,” he stated. 
In his opinion, this indicates sufficient clarity and comprehensibility of the Belarusian electoral legislation for those who are obliged to comply with it and those who enforce it, as well as a sufficiently high level of legality in the conduct of all processes within the framework of the Presidential electoral campaign.

VOICE OF CAMPAIGN PARTICIPANTS 

Mikhail Sevko, Secretary of the Grodno Regional Commission for the Presidential Election, “Neither candidates, nor their representatives, nor voters have submitted any complaints or statements regarding violations of electoral legislation to any territorial commission in Grodno Region, including the regional one. As for the commission members, they are all committed to preventing any deviations from the requirements of the Electoral Code. These are individuals who will face a serious workload on the election day: voting will begin at 8am and conclude at 8pm, after which they will count the ballots until the final results are announced. Yet, they are prepared for this. I can confidently say that the people who make up the Presidential election commissions are true patriots of our country and participate in the electoral campaign at the behest of the heart and conscience. These individuals will do everything to ensure that each voice is heard.”

Aleksandr Myasoyedov, senior lecturer at the Department of Social and Humanitarian Sciences at Vitebsk Medical University, “On January 26th, we will make another significant move in the history of our state with our votes. Therefore, during this campaigning period, I am trying to thoroughly learn what those willing to take on the colossal responsibility for the entire nation are offering their constituents. As the chairman of the trade union committee at Vitebsk Medical University, I primarily pay attention to the Presidential candidate’s readiness to preserve the direction set in our country regarding social policy and healthcare, and how fundamentally they are prepared to defend the interests and independence of our Motherland. I believe that Belarus should be led by a strong, charismatic leader who has earned the respect of their fellow citizens through real actions, and possesses political experience and weight on the international stage.”

Based on materials of sb.by