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Date for presidential election may be set on September 14

A date for Belarus’ presidential election may be set on September 14, when the House of Representatives is to hold the next plenary meeting of its extraordinary session that was called by a July 19 presidential edict, BelaPAN reports.

Earlier reports had it that the session would last one day, on September 7, and many analysts expected a date for the election to be set on September 7.

If the date is set on September 14, the election may be held on December 19, 2010. If this does not happen, an election date will have to be set at the House’s ordinary fall session, which begins on October 4. In this event, the election may be held on January 9, 2011 at the earliest.

Under the constitution’s Article 56, a presidential election shall be called by the House of Representatives. The election date shall be set no later than five months and the election shall be conducted no later than two months before the end of the incumbent president's term.

Mr. Lukashenka's term expires on April 6, 2011 and therefore the election should take place on February 6 at the latest. A date for the election should be set no later than October 6.