Electoral System of the Republic of Belarus after 25 Years of Independence

• Main Author: Anna Kuleszewicz
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wydawnictwo Adam Marszałek 2018-12-01
• Series: Polish Political Science Yearbook
• Subjects: BELARUS; ELECTIONS; LUKASHENKA; CONSTITUTION; PRESIDENT; PARLIAMENT; DEMOCRACY
• Online Access: https://czasopisma.marszalek.com.pl/images/pliki/ppsy/47-4/ppsy2018402.pdf

This paper aims to present a case study analysis of the condition of the electoral system in the Republic of Belarus after more than a quarter of a century of independence. The main purpose of the paper is to explain the discrepancies between legislation and practice. The author intended to note a real situation that dominates the country’s political scene in comparison to theoretical establishments. A Constitution of the Republic (created in 1994, with minor changes in 1996 and 2004) is the legal ground of the electoral system, however, procedural details were drawn up in the Electoral Code. The principles of Belarusian electoral code consist of some statements known from democratic models, such as universal suffrage, direct suffrage, secret ballot and equality. There are different types of elections in Belarus but the most important ones are presidential and parliamentary elections. Despite the detailed legal rules for conducting these elections, in fact, the principles of democracy, as well as the internal rules in Belarus, are not respected. Both presidential and parliamentary elections have shown this in recent years. Independent observers for a long time have been alarming about worrying electoral practices in Belarus. It is also worth emphasizing that since 1994, one man has been in power uninterruptedly, and Parliament has in fact a symbolic function. In the source materials, the author used Belarusian legal acts, analyses and reports, press notes as well as scientific papers.