Belarus has set December 19 as the date for the next presidential election.
Incumbent Alexander Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1994, is likely to run for another term.
The political opposition in Belarus is fragmented and Mr. Lukashenko's government maintains tight control over the media.
The autocratic Mr. Lukashenko has done away with presidential term limits and international observers have declared past elections as undemocratic.
Former U.S. President George W. Bush dubbed Mr. Lukashenko as "Europe's last dictator."
Some information for this report was provided by Reuters.
