At stake in this election:

• The office of President of Belarus

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Aleksandr LUKASHENKO
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Sergei SIDORSKY
• Assembly: Belarus has a bicameral Parliament (Natsionalnoye Sobranie) consisting of the Council of the Republic (Soviet Respubliki) with 64 seats and the Chamber of Representatives (Palata Pretsaviteley) with 110 seats.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by popular vote to serve a 5-year term.
• In the Council of the Republic (Soviet Respubliki), 56 members are elected by regional governing councils to serve 4-year terms and 8 members are appointed by the president to serve 4-year terms. In the Chamber of Representatives (Palata Pretsaviteley) 110 members are elected by universal adult suffrage to serve 4-year terms.

Main Candidates in the Presidential race:

• Aleksandr LUKASHENKO
  • Party: Independent
• Uladzimir HANCHARYK
  • Bloc: Democratic "Five"

Last Presidential election:

• The last presidential election was July 10, 1994. Aleksandr LUKASHENKO received 85% of the vote, thereby defeating Vyachesla KEBICH who received 15%.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 10,366,719 (July 2000 est.)
• Registered Voters: 7,800,000 ( 1999 est.)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 5,269,417 (2001)

·         Is Belarus a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (17 July 1980)

·         Has Belarus ratified CEDAW: Yes (4 February 1981)

·         Gender Quota: No

·         Female candidates in this election: No

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 10 (as of 2000 elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 50 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: Very Low (2014)

Disability Data:

·         Is Belarus a signatory to CRPD: Yes (28 September 2015)

·         Has Belarus ratified CRPD: No

·         Population with a disability:1,555,007 (est.)