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Article 45
 

Election Agitation and Agitation for Referendum and Recall of a Deputy or a Member of the Council of the Republic

 

Citizens of the Republic of Belarus, political parties, other public associations, labour collectives and proxies of candidates for the position of the President of the Republic of Belarus and for deputies and the initiative groups making agitation for elections of candidates for the position of the President of the Republic of Belarus or for deputy shall have the right for free and all-round discussion of election programs of candidates for the position of the President of the Republic of Belarus and for deputies, of their political, business and personal qualities and the holding of agitation for or against a candidate at meetings, rallies, in mass media as well as during meetings with electors.

 

Electors, initiative groups and proxies of the deputy shall have the right to freely and comprehensively discuss issues connected with the recall of the deputy and his (her) business and personal qualities and conduct agitation for or against the recall of the deputy at meetings, rallies, in mass media and at meetings with electors.

 

At a sitting of deputies of the local Councils of Deputies of the base level of the Oblast and deputies of the Minsk City Council of Deputies on elections of members of the Council of the Republic or on recall of a member of the Council of the Republic each deputy taking part in the work of the sitting shall have the right for free and all-round discussion of business and personal qualities of the candidates for membership in the Council of the Republic or a member of the Council of the Republic in relation of whom the issue on recall has been initiated and make agitation for or against the nominated candidates for the membership on the Council of the Republic and for or against the recall of a member of the Council of the Republic.

 

Citizens of the Republic of Belarus, political parties and other public associations and labour collectives shall have the right for free agitation in favour of the proposal for the holding of a referendum, in favour of adoption of the decision proposed for the referendum as well as against the proposal on the holding a referendum or against the decision proposed for the referendum. The holding of meetings with citizens and public discussion of questions (draft decisions) offered for the referendum shall be in conformity with the legislation on the procedure of the holding of meetings, rallies, street marches, demonstrations and picketing and other legislation of the Republic of Belarus.

 

Foreign citizens shall not have the right to take part in agitation.

 

Candidates for the position of the President of the Republic of Belarus and for deputies shall hold meetings with their electors at meetings or in another form convenient for the electors.

 

Local executive and administrative bodies together with the respective commissions shall be obliged to assist in the holding of meetings of candidates for the position of the President of the Republic of Belarus or for deputies with the electors. Commanders of military units (institutions) shall be obliged to create conditions for meetings of the personnel with candidates out of services hours. State bodies, enterprises, institutions and organisations shall provide free-of-charge rooms for the above purposes.

 

From the time of registration of candidates for the position of the President of the Republic of Belarus and for deputies by the respective commission political parties, labour collectives and citizens who have nominated candidates for the position of the President of the Republic of Belarus and for deputies shall have the right for making election placards, appeals, applications, inscriptions, sheets, and photographic materials (hereinafter "placards"). For paying expenses on the making of placards, a candidate for the position of the President of the Republic of Belarus shall be allocated resources from the budget in the amount of 2,300 minimum salaries, a candidate for the deputy of the Chamber of Representatives – 50, a candidate for the deputy of the Oblast or of the Minsk City Council of Deputies – 8, a candidate for the deputy of the regional or of the town (subordinated to Oblast) Council of Deputies – 4 minimum salaries and a candidate for the deputy of the town (subordinated to regions), of the settlement or of the rural Council of Deputies – 1 minimum salary. Placards shall mean printed products the fabrication of which does not require a special permit. Agitation printed materials must contain information on the organisations or persons responsible for their issue as well as on the number of their circulation. It shall be prohibited to disseminate anonymous agitation printed materials.

 

When holding elections, referendum or voting for recall of a deputy, the local executive and administrative bodies, on agreement with the respective commissions, shall allocate in the territory of the polling stations places that are most frequented by citizens for placement of agitation printed materials. The executive and administrative bodies may prohibit the placement of agitation printed materials in places that are not assigned for this purpose.

 

It shall be not allowed to remove, place over, smear or damage posters if these posters are made and placed with observation of the requirements of the legislation of the Republic of Belarus.

 

At all polling stations stands with information materials about the candidates shall be arranged not later than 14 days before the elections. Stands with such information materials shall be preserved in the voting rooms on the day of elections. When a referendum is held, the questions (drafts of decisions) proposed for the referendum must be displayed in the visible place.

 

No agitation (including calls for boycott of the elections or of the referendum) shall be allowed on the day of voting. Agitation printed materials that have been displayed outside the rooms for voting shall be preserved in the same place.