2010 Belarusian municipal elections

2010 26th convocation local councils of Republic of Belarus elections were held on 25 April.

2010 Local councils of Republic of Belarus elections
25 April 2010
Invitation to elections. Text: «25 April 2010. 26th convocation Minsk city council deputies elections. Everyone to elections!»

General information

Elections to rural, as well as district, urban and regional Councils of deputies were held in a single day 25 April under plurality vote.

Under legislation any citizen of age 18 and older, living or working on the territory of municipal unit or connected with it is entitled to participate in municipal elections as a candidate.[1]

Elections preparations

According to preliminary information, 25 033 candidates are to participate in municipal elections,[2] at least 513 of whom are candidates nominated by parties.[3] In total, under some estimations, 700-800 candidates are to represent registered and unregistered opposition parties and movements.[4] At the same time, United Civic Party of Belarus in its summit on 21 March decided not to participate in the elections.[5] On 2 April representatives of "For free entrepreneurship development" movement gave up participation in the elections,[6] however candidates from "Entrepreneurs bloc" continued their participation in the elections,[7] as well as many young candidates, participating in the elections for the first time.[8] However, there was no mass boycott of the elections иand even UCP candidates participated in the elections till the end, with only a few of them withdrawing their nominations[9] or were removed for electoral agitation rules violations.[10]

Average competition rate in Minsk City Council of Deputies was 3.9 candidates per seat,[11] while in regional councils - 1.8 candidates per seat.[12] On average there were 1.2 candidates per deputy seat.[2] Only 12 out of 40 electoral districts were alternative in Vitebsk City Council elections,[13] in Gomel Regional Council — 36 out of 60,[14] only in case of Minsk-city Council candidates nominated and actively participated, and there was no non-alternative district in Minsk.[15]

Only 0.1% of polling site commissions staff was formed of opposition representatives.[3]

On April 20 preliminary voting started; as of 23 April 15% of total number of voters had voted.[16][17] Total turnover of the preliminary elections was 29,3 %.[18] At the same time, high numbers of preliminary voters provided by Central Electoral Committee are under doubt.[17] There are also many evidences of university students being forced to vote preliminary.[19][20]

However, according to CEC representatives high turnover on preliminary elections is observed and explained due to «not only informational work, but also organizational stimulation for citizens, wishing to vote preliminary in the cities», also they stated such reasons as high discipline of Belarusians and elderly people's desire to «realize their right to vote in a fine weather».[21]

Opinion polls

According to poll, conducted by Information and Analytics Center of President Administration of Republic of Belarus,

…for most of citizens the most appropriate is deputy candidate to Local Council aged 30-49, willing to help his region, working as manager or specialist of an enterprise or organization, representative of state authority and supporting current government[2]

Other events
  • On the session of Brest Regional Electoral Commission independent candidate proved the fact of documents falsification by Baranavichy city commission, resulting in his complaint been taken into account, and he was registered as a candidate;[22]
  • European Union in the person of High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton declared an intent to thoroughly monitor the elections process;[23]
  • There was at least one district, with no deputy candidate;[24]
  • Giving away of balloons by one of the candidates to Vitebsk regional and city Councils of deputies was treated as vote buying and led to candidate's registration cancellation, while student amateur performances in electoral campaign of other candidate, university warden, was not treated as rules violation;[25]
  • On 23 April someone distributed flyers with provocative calls on behalf of BPF Party и BSDP(A) in Brest.[26]
  • For the first time in Belarus some candidates activelly used internet and constantly contacted voters through websites, blogs, social networks.[27][28]

Results
  • Resulting from elections, 11 186 out of 21 288 elected deputies were re-elected.[29] Less than 10 representatives of opposition parties and movements managed to be elected to Councils.[30]
  • In Minsk elections resulted in absolute victory of one of the candidates, getting several times more votes than the second place, only in one district the second best candidate lagged only a few percentage points.[31]
  • The turnover appeared 79,1 %:[32]
Region Voted %
Brest Region 801 842 78,7 %
Vitebsk Region 813 530 90,9 %
Gomel Region 937 219 84,4 %
Grodno Region 649 405 80,6 %
Mogilev Region 719 960 85,7 %
Minsk Region 903 346 81,7 %
Minsk 735 116 58,7 %
PartyCandidates nominatedDeputies elected
Liberal Democratic Party611
United Civic Party of Belarus970
BPF Party350
Communist Party of Belarus208265*
Belarusian Left Party "A Just World"1262
Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Assembly)321
Republican Party of Labour and Justice186
Belarusian Patriotic Party11
Belarusian Green Party50
Conservative Christian Party – BPF00
Party "Belarusian Social Democratic Assembly"20
Social Democratic Party of Popular Accord00
Republican Party10
Agrarian Party (Belarus)728*
Belarusian Socialist Sporting Party22
Party of Freedom and Progress00
Belarusian Christian Democracy Party00
Belarusian Labourer Party00
Belarusian Social Democratic Party (People's Assembly)00

Out of 79 candidates of Belarusian Left Party "A Just World" 5 became local councils deputies, informed Valeriy Ukhnalev, deputy head of the party. (see source http://nashaniva.by/?c=ar&i=37802)

References
  1. Legal information on elections Archived 2010-03-28 at the Wayback Machine
  2. "Выборы в местные Советы депутатов Республики Беларусь двадцать шестого созыва (In Russian - 26th convocation local councils of Republic of Belarus elections)". belta.by. Archived from the original on 2010-04-21.
  3. naviny.by: Местные выборы: всё идет по плану (in Russian - Municipal elections: everything goes as planned) Archived 2014-04-08 at the Wayback Machine
  4. Проект «Выборы в Беларуси»: Невысокая активность оппозиции на местных выборах снижает её шансы на успешное участие в президентской кампании (in Russian - Project "Elections in Belarus": Low opposition activity in municipal elections deteriorates its chances to successfully participate in presidential campaign) Archived 2010-08-10 at the Wayback Machine
  5. naviny.by: Съезд ОГП вновь «инвестировал» в прежнего лидера (in Russian - UCP summit "invested" in the old leader again)
  6. Проект «Выборы в Беларуси»: Представители объединения «За свободное развитие предпринимательства» отказались от дальнейшего участия в выборах (in Russian - Project "Elections in Belarus": Representatives of "For free entrepreneurship development" union gave up further participation in the elections) Archived 2010-08-10 at the Wayback Machine
  7. Проект «Выборы в Беларуси»: Кандидаты в депутаты от «Предпринимательского блока» продолжат участие в выборах депутатов местных советов до конца (in Russian - Project "Elections in Belarus": Deputies candidates from "Entrepreneurs bloc" will go on participating in municipal elections till the end) Archived 2010-08-10 at the Wayback Machine
  8. Пакаленне «П» ('in Belarusian' - Generation "P") Archived 2010-07-01 at the Wayback Machine — 34mag
  9. Самая жаркая борьба за депутатское кресло в Минске развернулась в Сухаревском избирательном округе — Новости (in Russian - The hottest struggle for deputy seat in Minsk is in Sukharava electoral district) — Local councils deputies elections
  10. News archive — Правозащитный центр «Весна» ("Spring" human rights advocacy center)
  11. Выборы в местные Советы депутатов Республики Беларусь 26-го созыва (In Russian - 26th convocation local councils of Republic of Belarus elections) — Minsk-city Executive Committee
  12. nashaniva.by: Кандыдатамі ў дэпутаты мясцовых саветаў вылучана 25 474 прэтэндэнты (In Belarusian - 25 474 candidates appointed for Local Councils Elections) Archived 2014-04-09 at the Wayback Machine
  13. charter97.org: В Витебске «выборы» альтернативны только в 1/3 округов (In Russian - In Vitebsk "elections" are alternative only in 1/3 districts)
  14. "Spring" human rights advocacy center: 24 из 60 округов по выборам депутатов Гомельского областного советов — безальтернативные (In Russian - 24 out of 60 electoral districts in Gomel Regional Councils elections are alternative)
  15. Востраў імітацыйнай дэмакратыі (in Belarusian - The island of imitative democracy) — Наша Ніва (Our Field)
  16. nashaniva.by: За тры дні датэрмінова прагаласавалі 15 % (In Belarusian - 15% voted preliminary within three days)
  17. Deutsche Welle: Выборы в местные советы: рекорды досрочного голосования (In Russian - Local Councils Elections: records of preliminary elections)
  18. naviny.by: Активное гражданское общество в Беларуси формируют принудительно (In Russian - Active civic society in Belarus is formed involuntarily)
  19. charter97.org: Студентов погнали на участки (in Russian - Students are sent to polling stations)
  20. svaboda.org: Выбары: улады ідуць на рэкорд (In Belarusian - Elections: Authorities are hitting records)
  21. charter97.org: Власти идут на рекорд по досрочному голосованию (In Russian - Authorities are hitting records in preliminary vote)
  22. charter97.org: Кандидат доказал, что избирком подделывал документы (In Russian - Candidate proved electoral commission's document fraud)
  23. nashaniva.by: Кэтрын Эштан: Аб’яднаная Еўропа будзе ўважліва сачыць за ходам мясцовых выбараў (In Belarusian - Catherine Ashton: United Europe will thoroughly monitor the municipal elections process)
  24. Проект «Выборы в Беларуси»: Один из округов в Могилевской области остался без кандидатов в депутаты (In Russian - Project "Elections in Belarus": One of the districts in Mogilev Region appears to have no deputy candidate) Archived 2010-04-22 at the Wayback Machine
  25. naviny.by: Кандидата Ольгу Карач лишили регистрации из-за воздушных шариков (In Russian - Candidate Olga Karach has her registration cancelled because of balloons)
  26. svaboda.org: У Берасьці раскідалі правакацыйныя ўлёткі (In Belarusian - Provocative flyers distributed in Brest)
  27. Татьяна Кувшинова проводит выборы on-line (In Russian - Tatyana Kuvshynova holds elections on-line) — Electroname.com
  28. Аляксей Валабуеў: Мы абышлі кожны пад’езд, кожную кватэру (In Belarusian - Aliaksey Valabuew: We visited every stairwell, every apartment) Archived 2014-04-09 at the Wayback Machine — Наша Ніва (Our Field)
  29. Проект «Выборы в Беларуси»: Более половины депутатов местных советов избраны повторно (In Russian - Project "Elections in Belarus": More than half of local councils deputies are re-elected) Archived 2010-08-10 at the Wayback Machine
  30. Deutsche Welle: Выборы в Беларуси: От оппозиции в местные советы прошли лишь единицы (In Russian - Elections in Belarus: Opposition managed to pass only single deputies to councils)
  31. Tatyana Kuvshynova. Дэпутаты, якіх нам давялі ды спусьцілі (In Belarusian - Deputies we were given and appointed). Archived 2010-05-11 at the Wayback Machine
  32. Сведения о ходе голосования в день выборов 25 апреля 2010 г. (In Russian - Data on elections process in the election day of 25 April 2010
  33. PACE: PACE suspends its high-level contacts with the Belarusian Government and Parliament

Sources
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