Belarus may hold either presidential or parliamentary election by late 2019

The presidential or parliamentary election campaign may be held in Belarus at the end of 2019. Under the law, the presidential and parliamentary elections are due in August-September 2020 but they will not be organized in the same year, CEC chairperson Lidziya Yarmoshyna told Belarus 1.

“Some election campaign needs to be conducted at the end of 2019,” Yarmoshyna said. “November 2019 is the ideal time for it.”

Territorial election commissions are unable to conduct both election campaigns in the same year, Lidziya Yarmoshyna reckons. The committees consist of volunteers, while only 9 people work full time at the Central Election Commission - the number 'less than in the smallest states', she reminded.  Election campaigns politicize the atmosphere which is not good for society, according to Yarmoshyna. “I think that the presidential and parliamentary election campaigns will be separated,” the CEC chairperson announced.

Local elections will be held in Belarus in February 2018.