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Article 34
 

The commissions on elections of the President of the Republic of Belarus, deputies of the House of Representatives, deputies of local Councils of Deputies, on the referendum and the holding of voting on the recall of a deputy being formed from representatives of political parties, other public associations, labour groups, as well as from representatives of citizens being nominated into the membership of the commission by means of lodging an application are formed:


regional and the Minsk City commissions on elections of the President of the Republic of Belarus, regional and Minsk city territorial electoral commissions on elections of deputies of the House of Representatives, regional and the Minsk City territorial electoral commissions on elections of deputies of local Councils of Deputies, regional and the Minsk City commissions on the referendum – by the presidiums of the regional and the Minsk City Councils of Deputies and the regional and the Minsk City executive committees with 9 to 13 members; the said commissions on the elections of the President of the Republic of Belarus are formed not later than 80 days before the elections, on the elections of deputies of the House of Representatives - 75 days before the elections, on the elections of deputies of local Councils of Deputies - 85 days before the elections, on a referendum – one month before the referendum;


circuit electoral commissions on elections of deputies of the House of Representatives and deputies of the regional Councils of Deputies, the territorial electoral commissions exercising in the districts of the city of Minsk powers of the circuit electoral commissions on elections to the Minsk City Council of Deputies – by the presidiums of regional and the Minsk City Councils of Deputies and regional and the Minsk City executive committees with 9 to 13 members not later than 75 days before the elections;


district, town commissions on elections of the President of the Republic of Belarus, district and city (in cities of regional subordination) territorial electoral commissions on elections of deputies of local Councils of Deputies, the regional, city commissions on the referendum – by the presidiums of the district and city Councils of Deputies and the district and city executive committees, whereas district-in-the-city commissions on elections of the President of the Republic of Belarus – by the presidiums of the city Councils of Deputies and the city executive committees with 9 to 13 members; the specified commissions are formed respectively not later than 80 and 85 days before the elections and one month before the referendum;


city (in the cities of district subordination), settlement and rural territorial electoral commissions on elections of deputies of the city, settlement and rural Councils of Deputies and the city (in the cities of district subordination), settlement and rural territorial electoral commissions on the referendum – by the city, settlement and rural executive committees with 7 to 11 members, not later than 85 days before the elections and one month before the referendum;


circuit commissions on the holding of voting on the recall of a deputy of the House of Representatives or a deputy of the regional Council of Deputies – by the presidiums of the regional and the Minsk City Councils of Deputies and the regional and the Minsk City executive committees with 9 to 13 members, not later than five days as from the day of the decision taken on the appointment of voting on the recall of the deputy;


the precinct commissions on elections of the President of the Republic of Belarus, the precinct electoral commissions on elections of deputies of the House of Representatives and deputies of local Councils of Deputies, the precinct commissions on the referendum and the precinct commissions on the holding of voting on the recall of the deputy – by the regional and city executive committees and in cities divided into districts – by the local administrations with 5 to 19 members, not later than 45 days before the elections, 20 days before the referendum and 20 days before the day of voting on the recall of the deputy, respectively.When necessary, the composition of the precinct commission may be increased or decreased.When elections of different level, elections and referendum are held simultaneously, the precinct commissions are common for elections of different level, elections and referendum.


Bodies forming the commission form, as a rule not less than one third of its membership, from representatives of political parties and other public associations.That regulation is not applied while forming precinct commissions being created at hospitals and other healthcare organizations providing in-patient medical assistance, as well as outside the Republic of Belarus.


The commission may not include judges, prosecutors and heads of local executive and administrative bodies.


State officials may not make more than one third of the membership of the commission.This provision is not applied while forming precinct commissions outside the Republic of Belarus.


Joint decisions of the presidium of respective local Council of Deputies and of executive committee shall be taken by the majority of votes of the members.Not less than two thirds of members of the presidium of local Councils of Deputies and of executive committee shall participate at joint sitting of those bodies.Representatives of political parties, other public associations, labour groups, citizens, who have nominated their representatives to the membership of the commission, are entitled to be present at the sittings of the bodies forming the commissions.


Decisions of the bodies forming the commission may be appealed within three days from the day of taking thereof respectively in the regional, the Minsk City, district, city court by the subjects who has nominated their representatives to the membership of the commission.The complaint shall be signed respectively by the leader of the political party (organizational unit), other public association (organizational unit), by the leader of another organization (structural subdivision), citizens who have nominated the representative to the commission by means of lodging the application.The court considers the complaint in three-day term and its decision thereupon is final.


The decision on forming of the commission in seven-day term from the day when it is taken is published in press.The decision on forming of settlement, rural territorial commissions may be brought to the notice of citizens by other mode within the same term.The decision specifies surname, name and patronymic of every member of the commission, the mode of nomination to the commission, a place of location and phone numbers of the commission.


Outside the Republic of Belarus, when elections of the President of the Republic of Belarus or deputies of the House of Representatives or a republican referendum are held, the precinct commissions shall be formed by the heads of diplomatic representations (consular institutions) of the Republic of Belarus operating in the territory of the respective foreign states.