Belarus president election expenditure report ready

MINSK (BelTA) – The summarized report on the actual amount of money spent on preparing for and organizing the latest presidential election was approved at the session of Belarus' Central Commission on Elections and Republican Referendums on 10 December, BelTA has learned.

The document reads that the organization of the latest Belarus president election cost a total of Br175,935,030,273 (roughly Br176 billion), which is 2.7 % less than the sum appropriated for the first round of the presidential election. About Br5 billion in spare funds will be transferred back to the state budget. The Central Commission was given about Br6.6 billion to prepare and organize the election but spent slightly more than Br4.3 billion or 65.2 % of the planned appropriations.

Chairwoman of the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Belarus Lidia Yermoshina noted that the campaign to elect the president of the Republic of Belarus was virtually over as of the time the report was adopted.

Talking to mass media, Lidia Yermoshina mentioned the timeframe for holding the parliamentary elections in 2016. Elections to the Belarus parliament are supposed to take place at least one month before the current parliament's term of office expires. “Since the first session of the current parliament took place on 18 October 2012, the elections to the House of Representatives of the National Assembly will have to take place by 17 September 2012. 11 September 2016 is the last Sunday suitable for the elections,” said the official.

According to the source, the next year's draft state budget provides for spending Br196 billion on preparing and organizing the parliamentary elections.