Only two things are required to register a political party in Belarus.
The Global Green manifesto has been adopted by political parties, movements and independent candidates around the world. The current constitution of Belarus (2022) largely corresponds to the manifesto of the Global Greens.
Four core principles of Global Greens:
- Sustainability
- Social justice
- Nonviolence
- Ecological wisdom
Conformance of Belarusian Constitution to Global Green Principles
Sustainability |
Land ProtectionArticle 13. Subsoil, water, forests are the exclusive property of the state. Agricultural land is owned by the state. |
Social Justice |
Right to housingArticle 48. Citizens of the Republic of Belarus have the right to housing. Right to HealthcareArticle 45. Citizens of the Republic of Belarus are guaranteed the right to health care, including free treatment in state healthcare institutions. |
Non-violence |
Non-violence and neutralityArticle 18. The Republic of Belarus in its foreign policy proceeds from the principles of equality of states, non-use of force or threat of force, inviolability of borders, peaceful settlement of disputes. The Republic of Belarus excludes military aggression from its territory against other states. |
Ecological Wisdom |
Duty to protect natureArticle 55. Protection of the natural environment and respect for natural resources is everyone's duty. Right to a Healthy EnvironmentArticle 46. Everyone has the right to a favorable environment and to compensation for harm caused by the violation of this right. |
Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, its member states set about building modern multi-party democracies. In Belarus that process lasted thirty years, during which time the remains of the Communist Party retained de facto power.
By 2020 there were 15 registered political parties, but none of them except the Communists had any real power. The president is barred by the constitution from belonging to any party, and a large majority of MP's also had no party affiliation. Elections were regularly held, but in the absence of a functional multi-party system they were perceived as opaque and undemocratic.
In the pivotal presidential election of 2020, none of the major candidates had any party affiliation. The turmoil that surrounded that election forced an overhaul of the political system. In the run-up to Parliamentary and local elections scheduled for February 2024, a Party of Power was registered and it quickly attained dominance. At the same time, all of the smaller parties were liquidated.
Four political parties, with support from their Russian counterparts, were the first to meet the threshold of 5,000 active members spread around the country.
Political Parties Registered in Belarus (2024)
* - Source for constituency data: minsk.gov.by (archived ).
Party | Charter Scan | Excerpts from Goals and Principles |
---|---|---|
Belaya Rus (устав)
Founded in 2023. |
13,069 words, 14 chapters. |
2.1. The goals of the Party are: 2.4. The party operates on the basis of the following principles: |
Communist Party of Belarus (устав)
Founded in 1996. Charter amended in 2023. |
7,112 words, 7 chapters. |
2.1. The CPB, based on the creative development of Marxism-Leninism, sets its goals: 1.6. The CPB stands firmly on the proven Marxist-Leninist principles of proletarian internationalism and actively promotes the strengthening of the unity of the international communist and labor movement and fraternal ties with communists around the world. 4.3. A party member is obliged: |
Party of Labour and Justice (устав)
Founded in 1993, charter amended in 2023. |
2,864 words. 11 chapters. |
2.1. The goals and objectives of the RPTS are: |
Liberal Democratic Party (устав)
Founded in 1994, charter amended in 2023. |
2,635 words, 7 chapters. |
2.1. The goals and objectives of the LDPB are: |
Sign up to the mailing list to get future updates about the registration process.
Low volume, sporadic mailings.