MINSK, November 14. /TASS/. Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko said that more than 700,000 signatures have already been collected for his nomination as a presidential candidate in the upcoming election on January 26, 2025.
"I was briefed yesterday that more than 700,000 signatures have been collected so far, roughly speaking," the BelTA news agency quoted Lukashenko as saying.
The collection of signatures in support of presidential candidates' nominations began on November 7 and will run until December 6, 2024. Only members of initiative groups are allowed to collect signatures at pickets (in locations not prohibited by local executive and administrative bodies), as well as at places of residence and work (or service). A nominee must gather at least 100,000 signatures to be registered as a candidate.
The Central Election Commission has registered seven initiative groups in support of presidential candidates' nominations. However, on November 12, it was reported that two candidates decided to withdraw from the election campaign. Currently, the initiative groups supporting the nominations of incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko, Liberal Democratic Party Chairman Oleg Gaidukevich, Republican Party of Labor and Justice Chairman Alexander Khizhnyak, entrepreneur Anna Kanopatskaya, and First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party Sergey Syrankov are still collecting signatures.