Opposition boycotts Belarus parliamentary pollsSeptember 23, 2012 - 17:37 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Belarus is holding parliamentary elections on Sunday, September 23 without the ex-Soviet republic’s two main opposition parties, which are boycotting the vote amid complaints of an election fraud, RIA Novosti said. A total of 293 candidates are running in single-member constituencies to fill 110 seats in parliament. Some 20 percent of voters have already cast their ballots in the four days of early voting. The elections will be recognized valid, if more than 50 percent of eligible voters come to the polls. The two main opposition parties, United Civic and the BPF, pulled out of the parliamentary election a week ago and urged voters to go fishing or mushrooming instead of going to the polls, which they call “pseudo-elections” for a “fake” parliament. The opposition claims the Belarus parliament has turned into a “pocket” chamber that rubber-stamps President Alexander Lukashenko’s directives. Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus with an iron fist since 1994, was reelected in disputed polls in December 2010. Dozens of opposition figures, including political rivals, were arrested after violent protests in Minsk following the announcement of the presidential result. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Cyprus parliament honors Armenian genocide victims Acting House President Zacharias Koulias noted that April 24 marks the “black anniversary” of the Armenian genocide. Armenia PM, France envoy discuss regional matters Issues related to the consistent development of Armenia-France cooperation were discussed. Azerbaijan razes historic Armenian church to ground Azerbaijan has demolished the historic Armenian Church of St. John the Baptist (known as Kanach Zham). Russia to begin assessing migrant workers' speaking skills Rosobrnadzor is planning to change the Russian language exam for migrant workers and include an assessment of speaking skills |