Belarusian parliamentary election, 2000

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Belarusian parliamentary election, 2000
Flag of Belarus (1995-2012).svg
  1995 15 October 2000 2004  

All 110 seats in the House of Representatives
Turnout 61.08%

  First party Second party
 
Party Communist Party of Belarus Agrarian Party
Last election 33
Seats before 0
Seats won 6 5
Seat changeIncrease2.svg 6Decrease2.svg 28

  Third party Fourth party
 
Party Republican Party of Labour and Justice Belarusian Socialist Sporting Party
Last election 1 0
Seats before 0 0
Seats won 2 1
Seat changeIncrease2.svg 1

Parliamentary elections were held in Belarus on 15 October 2000, with further rounds of voting on 29 October, 18 March and 1 April. [1] The vast majority of successful candidates, 94 of 110, were independents. [2] Voter turnout was reported to be 61.08%. [3]

Belarus country in Eastern Europe

Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, formerly known by its Russian name Byelorussia or Belorussia, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe bordered by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital and most populous city is Minsk. Over 40% of its 207,600 square kilometres (80,200 sq mi) is forested. Its major economic sectors are service industries and manufacturing. Until the 20th century, different states at various times controlled the lands of modern-day Belarus, including the Principality of Polotsk, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, and the Russian Empire.

A total of 566 candidates contested the election, only around fifty of which were opponents of President Alexander Lukashenko. Opposition parties called for a boycott, criticising the government's control of the state media. In response, the Department of Justice stated that anyone calling for a boycott could receive a jail sentence of up to two years, and several activists were detained. [3] Although a Russian delegation claimed the elections were free and fair, other international observers disagreed, noting concerns about the treatment of opposition candidates, a possible inflation of voter turnout and falsified and destroyed ballot papers. [3]

Alexander Lukashenko President of Belarus since 20 July 1994

Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko is a Belarusian politician serving as President of Belarus since the office was created on 20 July 1994. Before launching his political career, Lukashenko worked as director of a collective farm (kolkhoz) and spent time with the Soviet Border Troops and the Soviet Army. He was the only deputy to vote against the independence of Belarus from the Soviet Union.

Results

PartyRoundTotal
seats
+/–
FirstSecondThirdFourth
Votes%SeatsVotes%SeatsVotes%SeatsVotes%Seats
Communist Party of Belarus 24006New
Agrarian Party 41005–28
Republican Party of Labour and Justice 02002+1
Belarusian Socialist Sporting Party 100010
Liberal Democratic Party 01001+1
Social Democratic Party of Popular Accord 10001New
Party of Belarusian Communists 00000–42
BSDG-NG 00000New
Republican Party000000
Independents334821194–1
Invalid/blank votes
Total valid votes4,430,878411,991,53056588,5952373,36611110–88
Official coat of arms of the Republic of Belarus (v).svg
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References

  1. Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p252 ISBN   978-3-8329-5609-7
  2. Nohlen & Stöver, p261
  3. 1 2 3 Belarus: Elections held in 2000 Inter-Parliamentary Union