Elections to the Coordination Council: A New or Turned Page?

The elections for the new composition of the Coordination Council (CC) are a test of the mobilization capabilities of democratic forces against the backdrop of harsh authoritarian reaction and opposition from the Lukashenka regime. As a result of the elections, the democratic forces gain new electoral mechanisms to renew the legitimacy of their platforms and improve feedback from their supporters.

Organizers and software developers face criticism from activists and opponents of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, in addition to attempts by Lukashenka’s security services to disrupt the voting in the new composition of the CC.

Procedural difficulties limit the voting audience. A potential voter needs to have an official Belarusian passport. In turn, a significant portion of potential participants are in forced emigration, and some of them do not have a passport.

The democratic leader of Belarus, Tsikhanouskaya, keeps her distance from the electoral process—this position concerns some organizers and participants of the elections. Several representatives of the electoral lists in the CC have published a joint appeal to Tsikhanouskaya, centers of democratic forces, and independent media to give maximum attention to the electoral campaign.

To draw attention to the CC elections, the democratic forces are holding a large political conference with discussions in three directions: options for regime transformation (forceful or peaceful scenario), the release of political prisoners, and attracting international community attention to Belarus.

During the CC elections, political organizations have intensified communication with EU authorities to defend the interests of Belarusian emigrants and promote mobility for all Belarusians. Examples of such communication are meetings with Polish officials or actions in the Polish capital.

The democratic forces and independent media are enhancing interaction with EU institutions to advance the agenda of the civil society. The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, in an interview with the independent publication “Zerkalo,” confirmed the commitment to support civil society and develop cooperation with democratic forces, as well as to strengthen sanctions against the Lukashenko regime.

The democratic forces continue successful communication with official Washington. A new Act on Democracy in Belarus has been introduced in the US House of Representatives.

Thus, the democratic forces strive to maintain stable communication with supporters and renew the legitimacy of common platforms by involving IT specialists.