Updated at 17:53,27-03-2024

Five minutes for every candidate

BelaPAN

The Central Election Commission decided that every candidate for the House of Representatives will be allowed to speak for no more than five minutes during debates to be aired by television channels and radio stations in the ongoing election campaign.

The moderator in a televised debate will also be given five minutes for speaking, the central election commission said.

Lidzija Jarmoshyna, head of the commission, said that an average of up to five candidates were expected to be on the ballot in each election district.

"Based on our calculations, debates across Belarus will require a total of 219 hours of airtime", she said.

The top election official added that candidate can be replaced by their campaign aides during debates on television and radio.

Every candidate will be given an opportunity to publish his or her election platform in a national state newspaper and in local newspapers.

Apart from debates, candidates will be allowed to appear on television and radio once to address voters. Such speeches will be broadcast on television between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. and on radio between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m.

The main voting day in the parliamentary elections is September 23.