Yarmoshyna: If They Asked Me, I Would Schedule “Elections” For Sunday, December 1

The CEC does not know yet which “elections” will be held first in Belarus.

Lukashenka will announce this in April, when reading his “message to the people and parliament.” Lidziya Yarmoshyna, the head of the CEC of Belarus, said that during an Internet video briefing on the website of the National Press Center, tut.by writes.

– The law does not prohibit combining the two campaigns, but we have developed the practice when the presidential “elections” are not combined with any other campaign. One of the campaigns will be held this year, the other – in 2020. The intrigue is that no one knows when the “elections” will be held and which ones will be the first. The CEC has no information about this; the secret will be revealed during Lukashenka’s constitutional message in April. Just in case, we are preparing for two campaigns, –Yarmoshyna said.

We remind that Lukashenka announces “parliamentary” “elections,” the presidential “elections” are announced by the “parliament.”

– Most likely, the “elections” will not be held in summer, but in autumn, that is, they will be announced in April, in spring. If they asked me, I would say Sunday – December 1, – Yarmoshyna said, without specifying which elections she is talking about.

We remind that according to the calendar, both upcoming election campaigns – the presidential and the parliamentary one – are supposed to take place in 2020. The authorities have previously declared that no one would combine the “elections.” Lidziya Yarmoshyna explained it in the following way: combining the campaigns “might cause strong political unrest.” Lukashenka called this coming period “bacchanalia”. A year ago, the CEC head called November 2019 the ideal time for the first elections.

According to the Constitution, the “elections” of the president are fixed by the “house of representatives” no later than five months ahead and are held no later than two months before the expiration of the previous president’s term. That is, the next presidential “elections” are to be held no later than August 30, 2020, the parliamentary ones – before September 6, 2020.