It is possible that an extraordinary session of the parliament may take place in order to choose the date for the presidential election in 2015, Lidziya Yarmoshyna, Chairwoman of the Central Election Commission (CEC), said on Wednesday.
The official explained that the decision regarding the date of the election is a compromise. The parliament is not the only agency to decide on the date. The opinion of members of the government and other influential top officials of the country is being studied.
“The necessary technological period for preparing the election is three months. It is inadvisable to prolong it more than that,” she told news agency BelTA. “If we talk about scheduling the election for November, 15 , then naturally we have to consider an extraordinary summer session of the parliament”.
Ms Yarmoshyna reminded that the presidential election has to take place not later than two months before the current term of office expires or on November 20, 2015 at the latest. Since 20 November 2015 is Friday, the election has to take place on 15 November at the latest as it is the last Sunday within the legally determined term.
Lidziya Yarmoshyna has been Chairwoman of the CEC since 1996. She is a vocal supporter of Aliaksandr Lukashenka, the first and still the only President of the Republic of Belarus. On April 10, 2006, following the 2006 presidential election, she was placed on a list of Belarusians banned from entering the European Union and the United States for allegedly participating in the election fraud.
The Chairwoman is notorious for her rude remarks. After the 2010 post-election protest action she harshly criticised Belarusian women: ”You’d better stay at home and cook borshch! Is there nothing better for you but to hang around the squares? This would never come to my mind. It is a shame for a woman to take part in such actions.”
