Expert: Turnout in Belarus parliamentary elections above projections

MINSK. KAZINFORM - The voter turnout in the parliamentary elections was above the forecast level, Director of the Social and Political Research Center at the Belarusian State University David Rotman said.

"According to our preliminary survey, the voter turnout should have reached about 60%. In this case it was higher (the voter turnout was 74.32%. - BelTA's note)," David Rotman remarked. 

He also stressed that in many countries, including European ones, the voter turnout is not the main criterion at the elections. "They do not even need a half of the population to vote. More than a half of Belarusian people cast their votes, and I think that it is absolutely normal. In any case, the forecasts relying on the results of the surveys were outstripped. Many countries have a minimal voter turnout," David Rotman said.

When commenting on the situation with the voter turnout in Minsk, David Rotman confirmed that it is often lower in the capital city than in the country in general. In his words, the reason for it is that people are busy or leave the city on weekends, Kazinform has learnt from BelTA.