FACTBOX: Belarus parliamentary election rules

(Reuters) - Belarus was choosing a new parliament on Sunday in an election veteran President Alexander Lukashenko hopes will win Western endorsement he can translate into better relations with Washington and the European Union.

President Alexander Lukashenko, in power for 14 years, is accused by the West of rigging votes, muzzling the media and hounding the opposition.

Here are the rules governing the election.

ELECTORATE AND CANDIDATES

* According to the Central Election Commission, 7 million voters are registered out of a population of 9.69 million.

* The commission has registered 265 candidates competing for 110 seats. About 70 are from opposition parties.

POLLING

* The authorities have opened 6,525 polling stations. Belarussians can also vote at 40 polling stations abroad.

* Advance voting began on September 23 and so far 7 percent of voters have cast ballots.

* Advance voting is encouraged in Belarus, but criticized by the West and the opposition as an opportunity for vote rigging.

* Polling stations opened on September 28 at 8 a.m. (1:00 a.m. EDT) and close at 8 p.m. (1:00 p.m. EDT).

RULES

* Candidates must win 50 percent or more of the votes cast to win a seat.

* If no candidate wins a majority, a run-off between the top two candidates in the constituency takes place two weeks later.

* Parliament is elected for four years.

OBSERVERS