Region

3,130 initiative campaign groups registered in Gomel region

3,130 initiative campaign groups to collect signatures in support for candidates for members of local councils of people’s deputies have been registered in Gomel region, BelTA learnt from deputy chairman of Gomel region electoral commission Alexander Usov. According to the source, they have registered 88 groups campaigning for candidates for members of the regional council of people’s deputies, 429 groups — for district councils, 81 groups — Gomel and Mozyr city councils, 2,436 groups — rural councils, and 96 groups — district town councils. The deadline for collecting signatures in support for candidates for members of local councils of people’s deputies is December 4. Collecting signatures, the campaigners are forbidden to distribute any printed campaign materials. The campaigners can distribute information media with biographies of their supported candidates. Candidates can be nominated by personnel of a company or an establishment, a political party or by collecting signatures of electors. The level of the council of people’s deputies determines the required number of signatures. The oncoming elections are expected to get 4,298 people into seats of local people’s deputies. There are 300 local councils of people’s deputies in the region, including 1 regional council of 60 deputies, 21 district ones (787 deputies), 2 city ones in Mozyr and Gomel, 2 ones in district level towns, 12 town councils and 262 rural ones. Besides, 1,125 polling stations are now in place in the region. Elections to the 25th convocation local councils of people’s deputies of Belarus are scheduled to take place on January 14, 2007.