Who runs local government in Belarus?

Belarus combines elected local councils of deputies (soviets) with executive committees whose heads are appointed by the President or in a way he sets. There are 1,284 local councils at three levels: regional, basic (district and city) and primary (village and settlement). The councils approve budgets and local taxes, but day-to-day power sits with the appointed executive committees, which must carry out the decisions of higher state bodies.

Republic of Belarus · Unitary republic (presidential) · Eastern Europe

The levels of government below the nation

Level	How it is chosen	What it does
Regions – voblasts (6) and Minsk city	Regional council of deputies directly elected for five years; head of the regional executive committee appointed by the President and confirmed by the council	Regional budget, economy, health and education oversight.
Districts (raions) and cities of regional subordination	Council directly elected; executive committee chair appointed (by the President or in the order he sets) and confirmed by the council	Main level of local administration and services.
Village (selsoviet), settlement and small-town councils	Council directly elected; chair of the executive committee appointed and confirmed by the council	Primary level: local services and registration in rural areas.

Three questions about local power in Belarus

Are local leaders elected?

Local councils of deputies are directly elected every five years (last on 25 February 2024; turnout 73.1% according to the Central Election Commission). Heads of executive committees at every level are appointed, not elected.

Which laws set up local government?

The Constitution (Articles 117–124, as amended in 2022) and the Law on Local Government and Self-Government set the system. Territorial public self-government bodies are formal but small.

Who are local leaders accountable to?

Executive heads answer upward to the President and higher executive committees; councils only confirm them. Higher councils can cancel unlawful council decisions, and the President or higher executive bodies can cancel executive decisions. The Council of the Republic (upper house of parliament) can dissolve a local council for systematic or gross breaches of the law.

Traditional and customary authority

No customary authority exists in law. The Belarusian Orthodox Church and Catholic Church have social influence but no formal local role.

Community and neighbourhood power

The Constitution names 'bodies of territorial public self-government' (such as street, house and village committees), local referendums and meetings as forms of local self-government. These bodies are set up under the law and work with the executive committees; they are not independent of the state.

Points to know

The 2022 constitutional changes created the All-Belarusian People's Assembly, which includes delegates from local councils.
The Constitution says local bodies decide local issues 'based on national interests' and must carry out decisions of higher state bodies.
In 2024 about 30% of elected local deputies represented political parties, according to official figures.
Fifteen of the deputies elected in 2024 were Russian citizens permanently living in Belarus, who are allowed to vote and stand in local elections.

Local terms

Soviet (council of deputies): Elected local council.
Ispolkom (executive committee): Local executive body whose head is appointed from above.
Selsoviet: Village council area, the lowest level of local government.

Sources

Constitution of the Republic of Belarus (as amended 2022), National Legal Internet Portal of the Republic of Belarus (pravo.by), checked 14 October 2026
Elections of deputies of local Councils of Deputies (29th convocation, 25 February 2024), Central Election Commission of the Republic of Belarus, checked 14 October 2026
Constitution of Belarus (1994, rev. 2004 – earlier text for comparison), Constitute Project, checked 14 October 2026