Belarus' local council elections: CEC approves calendar plan of election campaign

On 18 February Belarusians are to elect 18.000 deputies of the local councils. The Central Election Commission has approved the calendar plan of the election campaign. Nomination of candidates to deputies will be running from 10 December to 8 January. The candidates are to be supported of a political party or work collective. Another option is to collect a certain number of signatures of residents of their district. Registration will be held from 9 January till 18 January. It will be followed by the pre-election campaigning. Deputies of the local councils have a wide mandate. They can approve local budgets and programs of their districts’ development, impose local taxes and fees, as well as dispose of communal property.