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20.12.2023

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POLITICAL SECURITY AS THE BASIS OF SOCIAL AND POLITICAL STABILITY OF THE SOVEREIGN STATE. 2024 ELECTION CAMPAIGN IN THE NEW LEGAL CONDITIONS

The material was prepared by the Academy of Management under the President of the Republic of Belarus based on information from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus, the National Center for Legislation and Legal Research of the Republic of Belarus, materials from the BelTA agency and the newspaper SB. Belarus today"

The state’s ability to ensure political security is evidence of its solvency.

As the President of the Republic of Belarus A.G. Lukashenko emphasized , accepting the credentials of the ambassadors of foreign states on June 15, 2023, “Belarus has remained for many years a kind of protected land of calm and stability. It’s comfortable to live and work in such conditions . ”

The security of our country’s political system from internal and external threats is critically important, since Belarus’s ability to implement independent state policy depends on its condition. Therefore, these issues are traditionally the focus of attention of the President of the Republic of Belarus. Especially today, when information, sanctions and other wars, unprecedented in scale, have been unleashed against our country.

“We are entering the election campaign. It will be long-term: starting with local authorities, local Soviets, the All-Belarusian People's Assembly and ending with the presidential elections. On the one hand, the mobilization of people and our mobilization . On the other hand, of course, we need to make sure that the country and society do not rock, ” noted A.G. Lukashenko on July 28, 2023 at a meeting with the Chairman of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus N.I. Kochanova. and the Head of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Belarus Sergeenko I.P.

The Republic of Belarus in the geopolitical realities of the 21st century

Modern international relations are characterized by growing contradictions between the main subjects of world politics. Coalitions of powers are being formed that oppose each other on the most important issues of the world order and fundamental values. The world continues to split into opposing military-political, financial-economic and technological blocs.

The aggressive nature of the military policy of Western countries is no longer masked by formulations about the “exclusively defensive” orientation of their military doctrines. Military force is seen as the main means of defending one's interests. The threshold for making decisions on its use is reduced.

The United States is seeking to expand the so-called NATO’s “area of ​​responsibility”, create new military alliances with the aim of “containing” China and Russia.

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At the Madrid NATO summit in June 2022, Sweden and Finland were invited to the North Atlantic Alliance without taking into account the consequences of such a step (Finland joined NATO on July 5, 2023 ). At the same time, a decision was made to increase the Alliance’s military presence on the eastern flank from 40 to 300 thousand people.
     
As a result, the international security architecture (including the system of non-proliferation and arms control) is deteriorating at an accelerated pace against the backdrop of escalating mistrust, growing military potential and an uncontrolled arms race (primarily in Europe) .

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Military spending in 2022 showed its sharpest increase (+13%) in at least 30 years , according to the Stockholm Peace Research Institute ( SIPRI ) . At the same time, the share of the three largest countries (USA, China and Russia) accounted for 56% of global military spending.

In 2022, the number of operational nuclear weapons began to increase. Of the total global stockpile of approximately 12,512 warheads in January 2023, 9,576 were in military stockpiles for potential use, an increase of 86 since January 2022. Russia and the United States together possess nearly 90% of all nuclear weapons .
 
The current situation has become the cause of many regional conflicts , which may subsequently develop into global ones, which will pose a threat to all of humanity.

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According to the Heidelberg Institute for International Conflict Research ( HIIK , Germany), 216 wars and armed conflicts were recorded in the world in 2022 , which is 12 more than in 2021.

The international situation was aggravated by the armed conflict in Ukraine , which turned into a proxy war. There is a threat of escalation if NATO troops intervene.

The radicalization of political regimes in a number of states played a role in the deterioration of international relations .

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In Germany, right-wing extremism is finding more and more supporters: the right-wing radical party Alternative for Germany occupies the second most popular position among German political parties. According to the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution of Germany, in 2022 there were 38.8 thousand right-wing extremists in the country, of which 14 thousand were aggressive. According to official data, in 2022, almost 16 thousand people took part in neo-Nazi actions organized by the far right. (in 2021 - a little more than 7.5 thousand people).
     
The Latvian authorities continue to stir up anti-Russian and anti-Belarusian sentiments. Discrimination on racial grounds is the main reason why official Riga introduced a state of emergency on the border with the Republic of Belarus from August 10, 2021. Since 2022, the cruel treatment of refugees by Latvian security forces has been noted in their human rights reports by the US State Department, international organizations Amnesty International and Doctors Without Borders. National legislation prohibits Latvians from expressing their opinions on issues that could “challenge independence, sovereignty, territorial value or authority.” At the same time, as independent observers note, “the interpretation of a “threat to national security” here is very broad.”
 
In Estonia, nationalist opposition parties - Fatherland and the Conservative People's Party - began to quickly gain popularity among the population. In this country, cases of discrimination against Russian-speaking citizens are regularly observed. The leaders of the mentioned right-wing nationalist parties are campaigning for the final liquidation of Russian-language schools and are against the growing number of migrants in the country.
 
 The following of individual European states in the neo-Nazi ideological wake is confirmed by the growing campaign to rewrite the history of the Second World War in Europe, and cynical attempts to whitewash Nazi criminals and their accomplices.

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In Latvia, every year on March 16, processions of former Waffen-SS legionnaires and their followers take place. Memorials in their honor are protected by the state. In 2022 alone, during the next campaign to destroy the Soviet heritage, about 120 objects were destroyed, including monuments to Red Army liberators.

In Lithuania, on October 6, 2020, a monument to A. Ramanauskas, who took part in Jewish pogroms and murders of communists, was unveiled at the Antakalnis cemetery in Vilnius (already the 4th monument in his honor). The President of Lithuania G. Nausėda took part in the opening of the monument to the “national hero”.
   
In Estonia , in the town of Sinimäe , “rallies” of veterans of the 20th Estonian SS Division and their far-right supporters are regularly held. At the end of 2022, the Estonian leadership announced its intention to immediately demolish 244 monuments to Soviet soldiers.

In Poland, the so-called annual events are held. “Marches of damned soldiers”, whose participants honor the memory of R. Rice (pseudonym “Bury”), who in January-February 1946, together with his detachment, participated in the burning of five villages in Eastern Poland and the murder of 79 civilians because of their Belarusian origin and Orthodox religion. In the last two years alone, the Institute of National Remembrance of Poland has destroyed 38 Soviet-era memorials.
 
In the Czech Republic, on April 30, 2020, a monument to the “Vlasovites” was erected in the Prague district of Rzeporie . At the Olsany Cemetery in Prague there is a memorial to the ROA, at which memorial events are regularly held. The place of attraction for Czech neo-Nazis is the town restored in 2011 . Korzhenov (Liberec Region) memorial “Iron Cross” in memory of Czech volunteers in the ranks of the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS.
   
In France, in May 2023, the annual march of neo-Nazis was once again sanctioned in Paris, which attracted 550 people.
  
 As Head of State A.G. Lukashenko emphasized on June 20, 2023 at a meeting with the foreign ministers of the CSTO member states, “full-scale hybrid wars have been launched against sovereign countries that do not follow the instructions of the West. ”

Today, individual states and coalitions are actively using instruments of political, diplomatic, economic and other pressure to promote their interests .

The implementation of such instruments can be clearly seen in the “work” of the European Union with the leadership of Ukraine and a number of CIS member countries.

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In Ukraine , Moldova and Georgia , accession to the EU is announced “in the foreseeable future.” At the same time, the implementation of this possibility is linked to the unconditional adherence of the government bodies of these countries to the policies of Brussels.

Using the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, the European Union is “pulling” Armenia into its zone of influence. One example is the deployment on Armenian territory of the EU Civilian Mission to Promote Stability in Border Areas, which is actually a tool for collecting information on the progress of the conflict and analyzing “help” options. At the same time, the EU, interested in large-scale gas supplies from Azerbaijan , avoids a direct conflict with this country, which can be seen in the extremely cautious statements of Brussels bureaucrats addressed to official Baku.
 
In 2023, the EU adopted “aid measures” to support the armed forces of Moldova and Georgia through the European Peace Fund.

 To put pressure on the sovereign Belarusian state, Western actors in international politics use instruments of “soft power” (sanctions pressure, artificial restrictions on official contacts with Belarus, media war, etc.) .

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Several diverse examples: according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, material about Belarus containing objective information about our country appears in the Lithuanian media once every six months.

In Latvia, since March 2020 , visa restrictions apply to citizens of Belarus.
 
In Poland, various structures and associations are prohibited from implementing any activities together with official representatives of the Belarusian side under the threat of legal liability and deprivation of funding.

In Switzerland, in July 2023 , Belarusian students participating in the 55th International Chemistry Olympiad ( IChO 2023), held at the ETH Zurich , were prohibited from competing as a national team; instead of state symbols, they were allowed to use a “neutral” white flag.
  
 In a number of cases, attempts are being made to openly discriminate against our country in the international arena.

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An example is Washington’s sanctions and restrictions on the Belavia airline. Thus, as of March 2022 , the US Department of Commerce introduced expanded controls on aviation-related goods sent to Belarus, including new licensing requirements for certain aircraft. In April 2022 , 7 Boieng -737 aircraft operated by Belavia were added to the list of violators of export control measures (in fact, they were suspended from international flights). In June 2022, a ban was adopted on any export privileges for Belavia.
  
The relatively small Belarusian state continues to successfully resist such giants as the European Union and the United States. We don’t “bend” under them, which causes them irritation. Western “strategists” still expect to provoke a collapse of the Belarusian economy with further political consequences. At the same time, Belarus is trying to use various mechanisms from the outside to destabilize the internal situation.

The only way to successfully resist the current naked hybrid aggression and predatory sanctions and ensure political security is the unity of the people based on the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus.

Political security is the basis of social and political stability of the Republic of Belarus

In accordance with the draft of the new Concept of National Security of the Republic of Belarus, political security is the state of protection of the political system of the Republic of Belarus from internal and external threats, ensuring the implementation of independent state policy, the harmonious development of society and the state, the preservation of the traditional fundamental values ​​of the Belarusian people, respect for constitutional rights and individual freedoms .

The state of security of the political system at the global level is usually considered through the prism of the political stability index . According to The Global Economy ranking (compiled based on data from the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, United Nations and World Economic Forum) , the average political stability index for Belarus from 1996 to 2021 was 0.12 points. The minimum was observed in 2020 (-0.9 points), which is not surprising given the attempted rebellion. Today, in the world rankings, Belarus has its highest score since 1996 – 0.74 points . By comparison, the global average for 2021 across 194 countries was 0.07 points.

A clear indication of ensuring political security is the achievement of public agreement on key issues of the development of the Belarusian state.
 
This was confirmed by the results of the republican referendum on February 27, 2022 on the issue of introducing amendments and additions to the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus.
 
For reference:
 
5,359,403 citizens took part in voting in the referendum , or 78.63% of the number of citizens included in the voting lists.
  
For making a decision on the question submitted to the referendum “Do you accept amendments and additions to the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus?” 4,440,830 citizens voted , or 82.86% of the citizens who took part in the vote.
  
Section IV of the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus was supplemented with a chapter dedicated to the highest representative body of democracy of the Republic of Belarus - the All-Belarusian People's Assembly (hereinafter referred to as the All-Belarusian People's Assembly). The determination of the constitutional status of this state body led to a revision of a number of powers of the Head of State, Parliament, Government, courts and the procedure for the formation of local government bodies.

Raising the status of the Supreme National Assembly is a vivid example of the implementation of the principles of democracy and openness of the state to society in our country.
 
The Supreme National Assembly is a unique political institution that makes key strategic decisions, the direct analogues of which are absent in foreign political systems.

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The special legal status of the All-Belarusian People's Assembly as the highest representative body of democracy is ensured by the participation in its activities of representatives of all branches of government, local governments, as well as civil society , including the most representative public associations expressing the interests of various segments of the population, as well as trade unions.

The Supreme National Assembly is designed to perform the main stabilizing role in relations between the branches of government and, accordingly, is endowed with sufficient functionality to prevent various kinds of political crises.

 A strong President, an influential Parliament, an proactive Government with the connecting role of the All-Belarusian People's Assembly - this is the formula for further legal support for the functioning of the public administration system in the Republic of Belarus as a result of the rule-making work carried out after the referendum.

The effective activities of state institutions in the interests of society are regulated by Directive of the President of the Republic of Belarus of December 27, 2006 No. 2 “On de-bureaucratization of the state apparatus and improving the quality of life support for the population”, comprehensive changes to which were made by the Decree of the Head of State on June 13, 2023. Currently Directive No. 2 provides for the following main innovations .
   
In order to improve the work with incoming requests from citizens, as well as to bring to the public, on a systematic basis, up-to-date information about the activities of government bodies on the issues of most concern to the population, the heads of government bodies are charged with the responsibility for the widest possible introduction of modern methods of feedback from the population , using the capabilities of information systems and social networks (video hosting sites, instant messengers, dialogue platforms, etc.) , as well as maintaining official accounts on popular social networks.

Heads of government agencies also need to carry out information and educational work with the population on an ongoing basis , including meetings in work collectives, on current issues of socio-economic and socio-political development, and actively involve political scientists, sociologists, and other representatives of the expert society in this work.

A significant renewal of the scope of administrative procedures has been ensured. The priority direction in this area has become the digitalization of administrative procedures (transferring the implementation of administrative procedures into electronic form, the formation of information resources in the area under consideration, etc. ) .

The procedure for conducting direct telephone lines in work with the public has been revised to increase relevance and effectiveness. Thus, the heads of republican bodies, regional executive committees, the Minsk City Executive Committee and (or) their deputies conduct direct telephone lines on the second Saturday of every month from 9.00 to 12.00 (on other Saturdays, conducting direct telephone lines is assigned to the heads of structural divisions) . At the same time, the current schedule of direct lines for the chairmen of district and city executive committees has been preserved (every Saturday from 9.00 to 12.00) .

Taking into account the employment of the population, in order to provide citizens with the opportunity to apply for a personal appointment at a convenient time, it was decided that the heads of government bodies, including local authorities, will hold a personal appointment from 8.00 to 13.00 or from 15.00 to 20.00. At the same time, at least once a month, a personal appointment should end no earlier than 20.00. Before the amendments to the Directive, personal reception was only possible from 8.00 to 13.00.

Public discussions of the most important bills and the holding of dialogue platforms have become firmly established in the political system of Belarus . These events bring together tens of thousands of people who care about the fate of our country, our Motherland as a single, integral, sovereign state, who are ready to participate in the political life of Belarus. Among the most significant topics of the dialogue platforms are the discussion of amendments and additions to the Constitution, the draft Law on the All-Belarusian People's Assembly, and the new Concept of National Security.

Belarus has traditionally been an example of interethnic and interfaith peace and harmony in the center of Europe. However, preventing the formation, penetration or spread of the ideology of Nazism, neo-fascism, extremism, separatism, racial, national, religious or other social intolerance, as well as disrespect for state symbols, the use of extremist symbols and paraphernalia is one of the most important factors of socio-political stability.

The Law of the Republic of Belarus “On Preventing the Rehabilitation of Nazism,” adopted on May 14, 2021, allows us to identify, prevent and suppress attempts to rehabilitate Nazism using all legal methods.

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This Law defines the main directions for preventing the rehabilitation of Nazism: the formation of intolerance towards Nazism in society, the creation of information products to prevent its rehabilitation, monitoring compliance with legislation, countering the rehabilitation of Nazism while perpetuating the memory of those killed, promoting the glorification of the Victory over fascism in the Great Patriotic War.

Further progressive development of civil society based on the traditional fundamental values ​​of the Belarusian people is associated with the signing on February 14, 2023 by the Head of State of the laws “On the Foundations of Civil Society” and “On Amendments to Laws on the Activities of Political Parties and Other Public Associations.”

The party field was cleared of decorative associations and those destructive structures whose activities are aimed at undermining the foundations of the country's constitutional order.

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On May 19, 2023, the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus made a decision to classify the following civil society entities as having the right to interact with government bodies (organizations) in special forms : Republican Public Association “Belaya Rus”; Belarusian Public Association of Veterans; Public association "Belarusian Republican Youth Union"; Public association "Belarusian Women's Union"; Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus.
 
The main objectives of these public organizations are, inter alia, to ensure civil (national) unity, as well as independence, state sovereignty and territorial integrity of our country.

 Currently, four political parties operate in the Republic of Belarus: Belarusian Party “Belaya Rus”; Communist Party of Belarus; Liberal Democratic Party of Belarus; Republican Party of Labor and Justice.

“The purpose of parties is not to fight the state, but to compete with each other at the level of projects and legislative initiatives. Everything that is aimed at creation. Moreover, we must understand that every decision made at the state level must simultaneously satisfy all groups of the population: public sector employees, entrepreneurs, and pensioners,” President A.G. Lukashenko emphasizedon November 10, 2023 at a meeting with the leaders of political parties.
 
Ensuring electoral sovereignty is one of the main national interests in the political sphere
 
In the context of growing bloc confrontation, some states and alliances are cynically using elections taking place in other countries as a means of interfering in the internal affairs of these sovereign states using a wide range of “color revolution” tools.

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For example, in 2003–2005 in the post-Soviet space, “color revolutions” took place in Georgia (“Rose Revolution” 2003), Ukraine (“Orange Revolution” 2004), Kyrgyzstan (“Tulip Revolution” 2005). Foreign interference in the electoral process has acquired its most acute form in Ukraine.

 The United States and European states traditionally actively use, among other things, the format of international election observation as a mechanism for putting pressure on their ideological and geopolitical rivals. At the same time, the current ODIHR election observation methodology has not yet been approved by the OSCE participating states, which allows the West to “flexibly” apply it, mainly in relation to post-Soviet states. The very scheme for selecting personnel for the leadership and headquarters of observation missions, the methodology for developing manuals for observers, the format of reporting documents and algorithms for summing up observation results indicate the direct influence of their developers and the leadership of observation missions on the nature of assessments of the elections that took place.
    
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A clear example of such unfair practice is the different attitude towards election observation in the post-Soviet space and in Western countries. For example, the OSCE/ ODIHR traditionally sends a broad monitoring mission to the CIS countries, while in the so-called “developed democratic countries” a limited number of ODIHR representatives work or no monitoring is carried out at all. For comparison: in 2015, more than 450 observers were sent to Kazakhstan (presidential elections) , more than 350 observers were sent to Kyrgyzstan (parliamentary elections) , Belarus (presidential elections) – 340 , Tajikistan (parliamentary elections) – 180 , but in Finland (parliamentary elections ) and Poland (presidential and parliamentary elections) – there was no observation .

At the same time, there is a “geographical bias” in the OSCE/ ODIHR election monitoring activities: “states east of Vienna” remain priority for observation (in 98.7% of monitoring cases) and were only sent twice to the western part of the OSCE region (to the USA in 2004 and 2016).

It is extremely rare for representatives of Western observation missions to criticize elections in the European Union or the United States , even despite the existence of violations recorded by independent human rights activists.

 Reports by the OSCE ODIHR and PACE on the results of previously held elections in the Republic of Belarus have traditionally been extremely subjective and politicized.

The procedure for early voting in the Republic of Belarus has regularly been the object of criticism from Western observers . And this despite the fact that this practice is actively used in many so-called countries. "established democracy".

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For example, early voting in Sweden begins 18 days before the elections. In the US, you can vote early in many states 50 days in advance. Early voting is also provided in Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Norway, Thailand.

In addition, in many European countries voting by mail is carried out : in Austria , Switzerland - 35 days in advance; France , Norway - a month before the main voting day.

 In 2020, our society passed perhaps the toughest test of strength. During the presidential elections, external and internal opponents of the Belarusian state tried to implement a forceful scenario of seizing power in our country , using a wide range of political protest technologies.

Having impartially analyzed the events of recent years in Belarus, we realize what extremely negative consequences our country could have been led to by the false calls of traitors to their Fatherland, acting on orders from the outside and at the expense of foreign grants. The “hybrid” blitzkrieg against Belarus failed. Together we selflessly defended the country's independence. We defended ourselves because Truth was on our side, the desire to live and work on our own land and according to our own laws.

In the new edition of the National Security Concept of the Republic of Belarus, it is planned to consolidate the concept of “electoral sovereignty” for the first time.

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“Electoral sovereignty” is the inalienable and exclusive right of the state to independently and independently organize and conduct elections and referendums in order to ensure the exercise of the sovereignty of the people and their freedom of choice under the supremacy of the Constitution and national legislation, and to prevent interference in the electoral process.
 
 Assessing the dynamics of the geopolitical situation in the world, Head of State A.G. Lukashenko on October 20, 2022, at a meeting on the formation of the All-Belarusian People's Assembly and changes in electoral legislation, warned: “We cannot expect easy election campaigns. You can see for yourself the conditions our country is in. Uncertainty of the international situation, unprecedented external pressure, information attacks and provocations . "

Comprehensive adjustment of the norms of the Electoral Code of the Republic of Belarus

The changes made to the Electoral Code of the Republic of Belarus (hereinafter referred to as the Code) are part of large-scale work to modernize the country’s political system, carried out in accordance with the changes to the Basic Law of the Belarusian state adopted at the republican referendum on February 27, 2022.

Main innovations of the electoral legislation:

the requirements for presidential candidates have been changed (the same person can be elected President for no more than two terms) ;

The Code has been supplemented with a separate section in connection with the constitutional and legal status of the Supreme Council, which determines the procedure for electing representatives from local Councils of Deputies and civil society to the All-Belarusian People's Assembly;

a single voting day is provided for elections of deputies at all levels (on the last Sunday of February in the fifth year of expiration of the powers of representative bodies) . The Constitutional Court of the Republic of Belarus found it expedient to introduce a single voting day, since such a measure helps reduce organizational and financial costs for holding elections, creates additional convenience for voters and conditions for better work of election commissions at all levels . In addition, the simultaneous holding of elections to representative bodies of power will allow the country's socio-political forces to systematically prepare for the electoral process;

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A single voting day has been introduced in the USA, Canada, Mexico, Russia, and a number of countries in South America, Africa, and Europe.

 The procedure for electing members of the Council of the Republic has been optimized. Elections to the upper house of Parliament will be organized by deputies of local Councils of the new convocation, elected on a single voting day;

persons in respect of whom a preventive measure in the form of detention has been chosen have the right to take part in voting. The specifics of participation in elections and referendums of this category of persons will be regulated at the level of acts of the Central Election Commission (as well as in relation to persons sentenced to arrest or in prison) ;

procedures for recognizing elections of the President, members of the Council of the Republic, and deputies of the House of Representatives as unconstitutional or illegitimate are regulated ;|

the procedure for forming the Central Election Commission (election of its Chairman and members to the Supreme Council) has been changed , certain powers of the Central Election Commission have been clarified;

the system of election commissions and the procedure for the formation of electoral districts have been optimized in connection with the holding of elections of deputies on a single voting day;

provision is made for removing the requirement for a minimum voter turnout in elections of deputies of the House of Representatives in order to unify approaches to conducting parliamentary and local elections on a single voting day;

restrictions have been established on the nomination of candidates for President, for deputies of the House of Representatives, for members of the Council of the Republic of citizens in respect of whom there is a court conviction that has entered into legal force ;

provides for the right of all registered candidates for deputies of the House of Representatives to send their representatives to district election commissions as members of these commissions with the right of advisory vote in order to increase the transparency of the work of election commissions (previously, this right was granted only to political parties that nominated their candidates) ;

persons nominated as candidates for deputies have been given the right to create their own election funds to finance expenses associated with collecting voter signatures (previously this opportunity was given to presidential candidates) ;

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The size of the funds has been increased (for example, for candidates for deputies of the House of Representatives from 1000 to 2000 basic units).

the number of voter signatures required for nomination as a candidate to the local Council of Deputies has been changed : at least 1% of voters living in the territory of a given electoral district, but not less than 10 voter signatures;

the status of observers has been clarified , which may be representatives of political parties, other public associations, labor collectives, as well as citizens with the right to vote (the institution of observers will not be used in the elections of members of the Council of the Republic and delegates of the Supreme Council) ;

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The innovation is a change in the terms of accreditation of observers, which will ensure the coordinated work of commissions on organizing and conducting direct voting of voters: observers are accredited with the relevant commissions no later than the day preceding the day of the start of early voting , and when recalling a deputy - no later than the day preceding the day voting on the recall of a deputy.
 
 There are certain changes to the voting procedure .

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The time for early voting has been changed, which will take place from 12 to 19 hours without a break, since the greatest activity of voters on weekdays is observed during the lunch break and after the end of working hours.

To organize voting at the location of voters, it is possible to manufacture five portable boxes instead of three , which will ensure the rights to participate in elections for voters who want to vote at their location, including in case the epidemiological situation worsens.

 A number of innovations are aimed at ensuring electoral sovereignty in Belarus:

it is stipulated that voting stations will not be established abroad , which is due to the existing negative experience in conducting election campaigns, including due to the unfavorable epidemiological situation;

a ban has been introduced on the nomination to elective positions of persons who have citizenship of a foreign state or a document granting rights to benefits and advantages in connection with political, religious views or nationality;

There is a ban on taking the issued ballot out of the voting premises, as well as taking photos and videos of the completed ballot. Violation of this norm will entail the application of administrative measures to offenders;

provision is made for the publication in print media of a message about the formation of territorial and precinct commissions without indicating the personal data of their members , taking into account the threats received during election campaigns against members of election commissions (messages must contain the quantitative composition of the commission, the method of nomination and contact details of the commission (address and telephone number )) .

The issue of providing information support for the upcoming election campaigns is relevant. For these purposes, a permanent Scientific Expert Council has been formed under the Central Election Commission , which assists the Central Election Commission in analyzing law enforcement practice, developing proposals for improving election legislation, monitoring and applying the experience of holding elections abroad.

The created Youth Council under the Central Election Commission will also contribute to the popularization of the electoral process, as well as the improvement of political culture among the younger generation .

Taking into account the norms of the Code, adjustments were made to the system of registration and recording of offenses in Belarus (On October 24, 2023 , the Head of State signed the Law “On Amendments to the Law of the Republic of Belarus “On the Unified State System of Registration and Recording of Offences”) .
 
The law enshrines the right of civil society entities participating in the elections of delegates to the Supreme Council to request information about offenses in the implementation of the norms of election legislation (the deadline for their provision is within three days from the date of receipt of the request ).
 
During the preparation and holding of a single voting day, an effective combination of legal, informational, preventive and preventive measures will be ensured to prevent riots and other illegal actions on the part of organized groups and individuals .

In this regard, a significant role is assigned to internal affairs bodies (hereinafter referred to as ATS), whose main efforts are concentrated on organizing law and order and ensuring public safety, as well as identifying and suppressing possible offenses, and promptly responding to any incidents.

For reference:

For 10 months of this year. Compared to the same period in 2022, the number of unauthorized mass events in the country decreased by 23.4%, and the number of participants in protests decreased by 77.7%.
 
Today, internal affairs bodies have sufficient resources of forces and means to properly respond to possible challenges and threats.

Answering a question on October 6, 2023 about the likelihood of a repetition of the events of the 2020 uprising during the upcoming election campaign, President A.G. Lukashenko said: “ It will not happen again. This is impossible... We have already had enough of this, we are experienced people, we study properly. Even if they don’t expect to rock Belarus. We won't allow this. This is our country. Those who rock it know what it will lead to. "
 
Election campaign – 2024
 
An election campaign is a significant milestone in the development of any country, a test and test of the strength of its political system.

The main criterion for the state’s readiness to conduct fair and open elections is the quality and completeness of legal regulation of election procedures and processes.

At the same time, the practice of conducting election campaigns in certain Western countries demonstrates the imperfection of the electoral legislation of these states and, as a consequence, a significant number of recorded violations.

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Today in the United States, the topic of electoral reform is causing heated debate: Republican proposals for radical changes to the electoral system are blocked by Democrats. Gaps in American legislation and shortcomings in the work of election commissions have repeatedly led to the fact that dead souls not only voted, but were also elected . For example, in 2022, Democrats Tony DeLuca (32nd state legislative district of Pennsylvania) and Simon Silva (San Diego County, California) won elections to the House of Representatives, and in the second case, many voters did not even know about his death until before the results are announced.

Independent experts have recognized that “the most dirty election campaign in the European Union was the elections held on October 15, 2023 and the republican referendum in Poland . ” The OSCE /ODIHR noted that the then-ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party had a clear advantage through undue influence over the use of public resources and state media, and the campaign itself was characterized by “widespread use of rhetoric of intolerance, xenophobia and misogyny.” The PiS party circumvented campaign finance laws. The questions put forward for the referendum were “overtly manipulative in nature” and were essentially “an election leaflet for PiS.” The opacity of the accreditation process for a significant number of international, parliamentary and non-governmental observers was also noted (for example, before the elections, the international OSCE observer, member of the Belarusian Parliament D. Karas , was banned from entering Poland ). As a result, the turnout in the referendum failed, and PiS ended up with only 194 parliamentary seats in the Sejm out of 460 possible and only a third in the Senate. According to Polish media, during the elections observers recorded 312 offenses (173 of them related to the removal, movement, falsification and destruction of ballots). According to the head of the OSCE PA delegation P.H. Pons, “the elections in Poland showed the erosion of the system of checks and balances of the state.”
   
In Bulgaria, during the local elections held on October 29, 2023 (first round), a record number of reports of violations of electoral legislation were recorded, which were mainly related to vote buying and illegal campaigning . Over the course of a month (from the beginning of the election campaign until voting day inclusive), more than 1.8 thousand signals were submitted, which is twice as much as compared to the previous local elections in 2019, and more than 160 pre-trial proceedings were initiated.
 
Belarus has fully taken into account foreign experience in holding elections at various levels.

The President of the Republic of Belarus A.G. Lukashenko signed on November 20, 2023 Decrees No. 367 “On calling elections of deputies” and No. 368 “On calling elections to the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus.”
  
In accordance with the requirements of the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus, elections to the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the eighth convocation and local Councils of Deputies of the twenty-ninth convocation are envisaged on a single voting day - February 25, 2024 .
  
The nomination of candidates for deputies begins 70 days and ends 40 days before the elections.

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Voters, depending on the place of registration to vote, will receive from 2 ballots (such as, for example, residents of Minsk for voting in elections of deputies to the House of Representatives and the Minsk City Council of Deputies) to 4 ballots (such as, for example, residents of rural settlements for voting in elections of deputies to the House of Representatives and deputies of rural, district and regional Councils of Deputies).
 
According to the election legislation, for the convenience of voters, the issued ballots will differ in color and (or) have a distinctive mark.

Elections to the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the eighth convocation will take place on April 4, 2024 .
 
The nomination of candidates for members of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly begins 15 days later and ends no later than 25 days after the single voting day.

 Information on the preparation and conduct of the 2024 election campaign is posted on the website of the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Belarus in the sections “Elections of deputies on a single voting day” and “Elections of members of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus of the eighth convocation” of the Calendar of Elections and Referenda at the addresses:
 
https://www.rec.gov.by/ru/election-schedule-ru/view/elections-2024-86
https://www.rec.gov.by/ru/election-schedule-ru/view/vosmogo-sozyva-88

 No later than March 6, 2024 , the Central Election Commission must determine the date for the elections of delegates to the All-Belarusian People's Assembly from local Councils of Deputies and civil society. According to the electoral legislation, the deadline for holding elections of delegates to the SPC is April 10, 2024. In accordance with Part 5 of Article 89-2 of the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus, the first meeting of the SPC in the new constitutional status must take place no later than 60 days after the elections of deputies, i.e. no later than April 25, 2024
   
The Central Election Commission, state bodies, and other organizations are instructed to take measures to organize elections, and the Government is instructed to ensure financing of the costs of their preparation and conduct from the republican budget.

If all citizens understand the mechanism of the electoral process, if everyone understands their rights and responsibilities, then people will not succumb to various fakes and information dumps.
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In our country, the political system is built in such a way that neither internal nor external factors can interfere with the further progressive development of the Belarusian state and society.

In 2024, the election campaign in the Republic of Belarus will take place taking into account the new strategic directions for the development of our country, which our people have determined at the constitutional level.

Belarusians are entering the electoral period against the backdrop of large-scale processes of socio-political development that have begun. At the legislative level, the mechanism for ensuring the consolidation of efforts of the individual, society and the state in order to realize national interests has been significantly improved.

President of the Republic of Belarus A.G. Lukashenko on November 9, 2023 at a meeting with the Chairman of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus N.I. Kochanova. emphasized: “ We openly and honestly said that we would participate in these elections in every possible way. I mean the vertical of power. This is a very important campaign in Belarus. There is nothing more important than the political campaign next year. Next will be the formation of the All-Belarusian People's Assembly, the election of delegates to this assembly . "

The authorities will do everything to ensure the electoral sovereignty of the Republic of Belarus and hold the 2024 elections calmly, openly and objectively.