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All 110 seats in the House of Representatives | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Turnout | 91.04% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Parliamentary elections were held in Belarus on 17 October 2004, with a second round of voting in two constituencies on 27 October, and a third round in one on 20 March 2005. [1] [2] The vast majority of successful candidates, 97 of 109, were independents. [3] Voter turnout was reported to be 91.04% in the first round. [2]
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 359 candidates contested the election, with oppositing parties claiming that around 40% of their candidates were not registered. [2] The OCSE delegation noted that although all candidates were given a set amount of free television and radio airtime and a free statement in the national press, over 80% of television news time was dedicated to President Alexander Lukashenko in the five weeks before the election. They also noted concerns about the independence of the Electoral Commission and a lack of transparency during the voting and counting process. [2] The government also closed down nine independent newspapers in the lead-up to the elections. [2]
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is the world's largest security-oriented intergovernmental organization. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, promotion of human rights, freedom of the press, and fair elections. It employs around 3,460 people, mostly in its field operations but also in its secretariat in Vienna, Austria and its institutions. It has its origins in the 1975 Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) held in Helsinki, Finland.
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.
Party | Round | Total seats | +/– | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
First | Second | Third | |||||||||
Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | |||
Communist Party of Belarus | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | +2 | ||||||
Agrarian Party | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | –2 | ||||||
Liberal Democratic Party | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||||
People's Coalition 5 Plus | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||||
Republican Party | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
Social Democratic Party of Popular Accord | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | –1 | ||||||
Independents | 96 | 1 | 1 | 98 | +4 | ||||||
Invalid/blank votes | 201,462 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
Total valid votes | 6,297,600 | 108 | 34,567 | 1 | 1 | 110 | 0 | ||||
Source: Nohlen, IPU |
This article is part of a series on the politics and government of Belarus |
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