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Central election commission agrees to consider including independent media representatives in Supervisory Council for Compliance with Rules for Electioneering through Media

The central election commission agreed on Wednesday to consider including representatives of independent media outlets in its Supervisory Council for Compliance with the Rules for Electioneering through the Media.

Speaking at the commission's meeting, Ihar Lyalkow of the Belarusian Popular Front suggested that Zhanna Litvina, chair of the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), BAJ Deputy Chair Andrey Bastunets and Dzmitry Pankavets, deputy editor-in-chief of the newspaper Nasha Niva, should be granted seats on the commission, which currently consists of exclusively pro-government journalists.

Mr. Lyalkow explained that the Council considered the coverage of the parliamentary elections both by government-controlled and independent media outlets.

Lidziya Yarmoshyna, head of the central election commission, said that the proposal would be discussed at the commission's next meeting.

"We must first discuss the matter with the council's members. We cannot simply bring new people with no consideration for the opinion of the existing members," she said.

Ms. Yarmoshyna told reporters after the meeting that she wished parliamentary candidates worked with voters more actively and demonstrated their qualities.

The election campaign is not very active despite the fact that there are 363 registered candidates this year, 100 more than in 2008, when the previous House of Representatives elections took place, Ms. Yarmoshyna said. Only 73 candidates, including about 40 in Minsk, have notified local authorities of their plans to hold street campaign events, she said.

Not all candidates have ordered campaign material to be printed with their campaign funds, she noted.

In the Hrodna region, there will be no televised debates between parliamentary candidates, Ms. Yarmoshyna said. There will be debates in 14 electoral districts in Minsk, in eight districts in the Brest and Vitsyebsk regions each, in five districts in the Mahilyow region and in two districts in the Minsk and Homyel regions each, Ms. Yarmoshyna said. //BelaPAN