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Article 13
 

Publicity during the preparation and holding elections, referendum, recall of a deputy of the House of Representatives, a deputy of the local Council of Deputies


Preparation and holding of elections of the President of the Republic of Belarus, deputies of the House of Representatives, members of the Council of the Republic, deputies of Local Councils of Deputies, of referendum, of recall of a deputy of the House of Representative, member of the Council of the Republic, deputy of local Council of Deputies are carried out openly and publicly.


Respective commissions, local representative, executive and administrative bodies inform citizens about their work on preparation and holding of elections, referendum, recall of a deputy of the House of Representatives, of a member of the Council of the Republic, a deputy of the local Council of Deputies, about creation of electoral circuits, about the structure, place of location and working hours of the commissions, about lists of citizens having the right to participate in elections, referendum, voting on the recall of a deputy, candidates, about results of the voting, elections, referendum and of the recall.


The Central Commission, the respective territorial, circuit electoral commission during the elections of the President of the Republic of Belarus, of deputies makes posters with biography data of candidates for the President of the Republic of Belarus, as well as candidates for deputies running in one electoral circuit to be placed at voting precincts and other places established for this purpose.The respective electoral commission produces information brochures about the candidates for the President of the Republic of Belarus and for the deputies in order to forward them to voters. The amount of information to be placed in these materials with regard to each candidate should be approximately the same. Expenses on the production of posters with biography data of candidates and information materials about the candidates shall be covered by the funds allocated from the republican budget for the preparation and holding of elections.


While holding elections, referendum, recall of a deputy, a member of the Council of the Republic the right to be present have the observers – deputies of the House of Representatives, members of the Council of the Republic, deputies of the local Councils of Deputies, authorized representatives of the candidates for the President of the Republic of Belarus, representatives of political parties, other public associations, labour groups and citizens, foreign (international) observers, as well as representatives of mass media in the order being established by the Central Commission.


The observer is entitled:


to be present at sittings of respective commissions;


to be present at sittings of deputies of local Councils of Deputies of a basic level of the region, of the deputies of the Minsk City Council of Deputies for the elections of members of the Council of the Republic, as well as for the recall of a member of the Council of the Republic;


to be present when ballot boxes are being stamped and sealed;


to be present on voting day in the premises for voting from the moment of stamping and sealing of ballot boxes till the end of sizing up the results of voting;


to be present at the preterm voting, at the voting under at the place of location of citizens, at re-counting of citizens’ votes;


to observe the issuance of ballots, course of voting, maintenance of the order of voting established by this Code;


to apply to the chairperson of divisional, counting commission or to his/her deputy with proposals and observations on the issues of organization of voting;


to obtain information about results of counting of votes and drawing up reports of the respective commissions about the results of elections, referendum, voting about the recall of a deputy;


to familiarize with reports of district commissions about the result of voting and with reports of respective commissions about the results of election, referendum, voting on the recall of a deputy, signed and directed to the higher commission in accordance with this Code;


to make a copy of the report of the district commission about the results of voting by own forces and means;


to direct appeals to the respective or higher commission or to the public prosecutor on the elimination of violations of this Code or other acts of legislation of the Republic of Belarus on elections, referendum, recall of a deputy or of a member of the Council of the Republic not later than on the third day after the elections, referendum, voting on the recall of a deputy, member of the Council of the Republic;


to familiarize with the decisions of sittings of deputies of local Councils of Deputies of a basic level of the region, of deputies of the Minsk City Council of Deputies for the elections of members of the Council of the Republic, as well as for the recall of a member of the Council of the Republic.


The observer is not entitled:


to be engaged in agitation in any of its forms;


to render informational, methodological, financial or other aid to the candidates for the President of the Republic of Belarus, for deputies of the House of Representatives, for members of the Council of the Republic, for deputies of local Councils of Deputies;


to obstruct the holding of voting;


to undertake measures violating secrecy of the ballot;


to hold surveys of citizens who have arrived for the voting and those who have voted;


to fill in the ballot for a citizen upon the latter’s request;


to obstruct normal work of commissions, sittings of deputies of local Councils of Deputies of a basic level of the region, the deputies of the Minsk City Council of Deputies and holding of voting;


to be near the tables of issuing ballots, near the polling booths and ballot boxes;


to interfere in work of commissions, sittings of deputies of local Councils of Deputies of a basic level of the region, deputies of the Minsk City Council of Deputies.


During the elections of the President of the Republic of Belarus, the deputies of the House of Representatives, the deputies of local Councils of Deputies, the referendum, recall of a deputy observers are accredited by the respective electoral commission, commission on referendum, on holding vote on recall of a deputy, and during the elections and recall of members of the Council of the Republic – by the presidium of the respective regional and Minsk–city Councils of Deputies. Observers are accredited upon thisation of a document on assignment as the observer, defined by the Central Commission and the passport of a citizen of the Republic of Belarus. Prior notification about the sending of the observer is not required


The term of powers of the observer begins from the day of his accreditation and ends on the day of establishment of the results of the counting of votes by the respective commission, the results or outcomes of the elections, referendum or recall of a deputy, a member of the Council of the Republic.


The commission which accredited the observer is entitled to revoke this accreditation in case of infringement of the legislation of the Republic of Belarus on elections, referendum, and recall of a deputy.


Commissions inform observers, foreign (international) observers about the date, time and place of their sittings.


Foreign (international) observers from foreign states and international organizations are invited in the Republic of Belarus by the President of the Republic of Belarus, the House of Representatives, the Council of the Republic, the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus, the Ministry of International Affairs of the Republic of Belarus and by the Central Commission.


Foreign (international) observers are accredited by the Central Commission.Term of powers of foreign (international) observer starts from the day of his/her accreditation and is ended on the day of establishing the results of elections, referendum, recall of a deputy, of a member of the Council of the Republic.


Foreign (international) observers carry out the observation in the order provided for by part five of this Article.Foreign (international) observers are also entitled to meet with candidates, candidates’ authorized persons and after the day of voting to express their opinion about the legislation of the Republic of Belarus on elections, referendum, recall of a deputy, a member of the Council of the Republic, to hold conferences and apply to mass media.


Foreign (international) observers are not entitled to use their status for carrying out activities not connected with observation of preparation and holding of the elections, referendum, recall of a deputy, a member of the Council of the Republic.


The Central Commission is entitled to revoke accreditation of a foreign (international) observer in the case of infringement of the legislation of the Republic of Belarus or of generally recognized principles and norms of international law.


Mass media shall cover preparation and holding of elections, referendum, recall of a deputy, a member of the Council of the Republic in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Belarus.Representatives of mass media are entitled to be present at sittings of the commissions, in the premises for voting, at sittings of deputies of local Councils of Deputies of a basic level of the region, of deputies of the Minsk City Council of Deputies for elections of the members of the Council of the Republic, as well as for the recall of a member of the Council of the Republic.


Candidates for the President of the Republic of Belarus, for the deputy are entitled to be present at the polling stations when votes are being counted.


Persons who obstruct the work of commissions on the day of elections, referendum, voting on recall of a deputy, member of the Council of the Republic, the holding of sittings of deputies of local Councils of Deputies of the base level of a region, members of the Minsk City Council of Deputies, are withdrawn from the voting precincts, sittings on the order of the chairmen of the respective commissions, presiding at sittings of the local Councils of Deputies of the base level of the region, deputies of the Minsk City Council of Deputies.