Today, 30 September, the action groups of candidates for the presidency began collecting signatures in support of the contenders' nomination. The signature collection will last up to October 29. This was reported by the Central Election Commission of Belarus.
A presidential candidate’s action group must collect at least 100 thousand signatures for his registration. 17 action groups will be collecting signatures.
The smallest action group belongs to the head of the laboratory equipment of nuclear power plants at the Joint Institute for Energy and Nuclear Research «Sosni» Ivan Kulikov — it includes only 107 people. But the largest action group was registered by Sergei Gaydukevich, leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, it comprises 10,443 people. The incumbent president of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko also managed to register quite a large action group — 8,403 people.
At the same time, the action group of civil engineer Peter Borisov includes 110 people, the Chief of the foreign economic activity of JSC «Vitebsk fruit and vegetable plant» Sergei Ryzhov — 123, an unemployed Sergei Ivanov — 129 people.
The action group of individual entrepreneur from Vitebsk Vladimir Proval registered 187 people, the first deputy chairman of the Belarusian Party of Green Yuri Glushakov — 244 people.
Sufficiently numerous action groups of the chairman of the board of the Association of Small and Medium Business Viktor Tereshchenko (1301 people), deputy chairman of the BPF Kastuseu Gregory (1306), Director of ODL, «Trivium» Dmitry Uss (1354), Deputy Chairman of United Civil Party Yaroslav Romanchuk (1465 ), the leader of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (People’s Hramada) Mikola Statkevich (1547), co-chairman of the organizing committee for the creation of the «Belarusian Christian Democracy» Vital Rymasheusky (1700), chairman of the organizing committee of the Union «For modernization» Ales Mikhalevich (1795), leader of the campaign «European Belarus» Andrei Sannikov (2003) and leader of the campaign «Tell the truth!» Vladimir Niakliaeu (3271).
According to political analysts, those candidates for the presidency, whose actions group include more than 1, 5 thousand people, have the best chances to collect 100 thousand signatures.
Only Registered Members May Collect Signatures, CEC
The CEC of Belarus stressed that only registered members of potential candidates’ action groups have the right to collect signatures. They all received the appropriate CEC Crew certificates and the subscription lists, BelTA informs.
While collecting signatures, the action group participants can provide voters with the informational materials on potential nominees. However, they are forbidden to distribute any printed material, as it will be seen as propaganda, which is to start only after the official registration of presidential candidates.
Only grown-up citizens (over 18 years) may vote for a person on the ballot. Each voter has the right to sign in support of several candidates, but only once to support the same candidate, CEC explained.
Voters Must Sign Personally, CEC
The signature sheet is to specify full details of the voters (surname, name and patronymic, date of birth, place of residence, passport series and number). A voter himself, as well as members of action groups can write this information in the lists, but the signature and the date should be indicated by the voter only.
CEC urges all citizens to make sure that the front side of the signature sheet shows details of the right potential candidates they support.
According to the schedule of elections, the registration of candidates is due on the period from 14 to 23 November. The CEC assured to do the best for completion of candidates’ registration until November 19 so that they could start their campaign a month before the elections.
