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Belarus’ presidential election enters first day of campaigning

Under the commission’s guidelines, candidates will have the opportunity to publish their election programs in national newspapers, including Respublika and Zviazda, and appear on national television and radio

MINSK, January 1. /TASS/. Candidates for the Belarusian presidency have begun vying for the attention of voters ahead of the country's presidential election, scheduled for January 26.

The presidential campaign period will run until January 25, inclusive. Candidates are prohibited from soliciting voter support on election day and the preceding day. Additionally, publishing or forecasting election-related opinion polls online will be banned during the campaign's final five days.

How the presidential campaign will be conducted in Belarus

The Central Election Commission (CEC) of Belarus clarified that local executive committees have designated areas for mass events, voter meetings, and campaign material displays. Per the Electoral Code, candidates may produce campaign materials using funds from their electoral accounts, with the stipulation that materials must be produced within Belarus.

Under the commission’s guidelines, candidates will have the opportunity to publish their election programs in national newspapers, including Respublika and Zviazda, and appear on national television and radio.

Earlier, the CEC announced that four presidential candidates’ speeches will be televised on Belarus-1 during the evenings of January 9 and 16, 2025.

“The incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko, seeking re-election, has opted out of using his free airtime for televised or radio speeches,” CEC Spokeswoman Alesya Urbanovich stated. She added that candidates’ speeches will also be broadcast on the radio during the mornings of January 8, 10, 15, and 17. Each candidate will have two opportunities to address the nation on both television and radio, with each speech limited to 30 minutes.

Moreover, Belarusian legislation allows for televised debates, which are scheduled for January 20, the day prior to early voting. Candidates’ representatives may also participate in these debates.

About the candidates

Five candidates are contesting for the Belarusian presidency in 2025: Chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party of Belarus Oleg Gaidukevich, individual entrepreneur Anna Kanopatskaya, incumbent Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, First Secretary of the Communist Party Central Committee Sergey Syrankov, and Chairman of the Republican Party of Labor and Justice Alexander Khizhnyak.

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