Yuri Gubarevich, a representative of the fugitive Belarusian opposition and a member of the United Transitional Cabinet recognized as an extremist formation in Belarus, sent documents to the Central Election Commission to register his initiative group of a presidential candidate. He announced this in one of the social networks on October 27.
"I have sent to the CEC a statement, a list of the initiative group and other documents necessary for registration as a candidate for the presidential election of Belarus. I have no formal restrictions. Criminal cases have been initiated, but none of them have been brought to court. I think it is quite realistic to collect 100 thousand signatures among 300-500 thousand citizens who left Belarus. Let's see what happens next," he wrote.
At the same time, as stated by the chairman of the CEC of Belarus Igor Karpenko, Belarusian citizens who are abroad can participate in the presidential elections as a candidate if they fall under all the requirements of the electoral legislation. According to him, the "foreign" candidate, according to the legislation, has requirements regarding the qualification of residency, age and lack of criminal record. At the same time, a presidential candidate should not have citizenship of a foreign state, documents that provide benefits on the territory of foreign states on religious and foreign grounds.
"That is, if such a citizen is outside our country and wants to participate in the presidential elections as a candidate, then, firstly, he must come here, register an initiative group that must collect at least 100 thousand signatures of citizens. If he falls under all these criteria, then he has the right to participate in the elections," Karpenko said.
Gubarvich has been living permanently outside Belarus for several years.
Recall that the presidential elections are scheduled in Belarus for January 26, 2025. Citizens of the Republic may nominate their candidacies by right of birth at least 40 years old, provided that they have the right to vote and have lived in the republic for at least 20 years before the elections. Earlier, the incumbent head of state Alexander Lukashenko and the head of the Liberal Democratic Party Oleg Gaidukevich announced their desire to participate in the elections.