″Stop swearing!″, or How the Belarusian opposition impedes prevention | Belarus: view from Europe – DW special project | DV
Before the conference
“Stop arguing and work together” – with such a slogan in Vilnius on August 8, the conference “New Belarus” started, timed to coincide with the second anniversary of the start of the protests. The event brought together almost the entire Belarusian opposition: among more than 300 guests were Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, Pavel Latushko, Vadim Prokopiev and many others. Of the prominent oppositionists, only the ex-presidential candidate Valery Tsepkalo did not come, who takes part in the conference, comparable to its pro-government All-Belarusian People’s Assembly. But he also sent his wife Veronica as a representative.
At the same time, the main leitmotif of the first of the two days of the conference was the unification of the opposition – both Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, her critics, and the Belarusians themselves spoke about this. Whether it turned out happens without disputes and just the opposition is going to unite – in a DW report.
“If we do not set a goal to resist, then get up and go out”
The tone of the conference was set by Svetlana Tikhanovskaya in her welcoming speech. She said that she was not going to gather before the event her office to collect criticism and suggestions from ordinary Belarusians. “Do you know where the two most common responses were? “Stop cursing” and “unite around a common plan.”
The leader of the democratic forces said that there is not enough man to continue the persecution, so all structures and one Belarusian must be resisted. This can only be done together and with the support of the majority. not with everyone, if politics becomes a career, and not an opportunity to make people’s lives better, then we can all enter the stage now.”
Opposition voiced for alternative regulation
Speech by Svetlana Tikhanovskaya
In addition, Tikhanovskaya said that the opposition should create a collective decision-making body. The creation of an alternative authority (which, strictly speaking, Tikhanovskaya announced on February 24) became the starting point during the discussion of the strategy for overcoming the crisis in Belarus. By and large, all those present agreed with the creation of such a structure, although the approaches to its formation and even the name of the opposition are different.
Former businessman and founder of the Pagonya Regiment, Vadim Prokopiev, believes that within the limits there should be “all the necessary attributes of this organization: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the armed forces, the Ministry of Finance, the Accounts Chamber, the internal security service. This should have a budget and collect taxes. In subordinate to this resolution should be the armed forces and their own little Mossad.” He also suggests not being ashamed of the word “government”.
In turn, the head of the NAU, Pavel Latushko, suggested making a decision on moving to the office today or tomorrow. “Candidates for cabinet members should be submitted to the representative body of the Belarusian society, which must be created in the near future. The system can only defeat the system.” He called the priority of the cabinet the preservation of the sovereignty of Belarus, as well as the stable management of the country during the transition period.
Veronica
Although the conference “New Belarus” started quite constructively, it was not without scandals and disputes. This time, Veronika Tsepkalo became the main troublemaker among the opposition. Recently, on the sidelines of the conference, and then during the discussion, she voiced a proposal to establish control over “such private media.” According to her, the media do not sufficiently suppress the initiatives of the Tsepkalo couple. In response to those present at the conference, the journalists suggested that politicians stop being seen to them as to service personnel.
In addition, in her full resentment, she accused Tikhanovskaya’s office of the lack of density, the creation of a “boto-farm” that hates her and other activists, and also complained that Tikhanovskaya’s representatives did not come to the Forum of Democratic Forces organized by Tsepkalo in Berlin. “We should expect that the two goals for which we gave the Tikhanov mission – the release of political prisoners and the holding of new elections – did not take place. The situation is only getting worse,” Veronika said. The audience quite often responded to Tsepkalo’s theses with laughter.
How to reform the democratic forces of Belarus?
One of the hottest discussions at the conference concerned the reorganization of the democratic forces of Belarus. Olga Kovalkova, a member of the Presidium of the Coordinating Council of the Opposition, said that the Constitutional Court had decided to expand its powers to include representatives of the local society. “Now the agenda has taken place at the top, but it needs to be formed around, so that ordinary Belarusians have studies of leaders and politicians. Direct elections are what we need to strive for.” She also noted that she is ready to bear collective responsibility, provided that decisions are also taken collectively.
Tikhanovskaya’s adviser, Franak Vyachorka, also said that the office was ready to bear responsibility for mistakes, and indicated that he himself did not apply for a seat in the Cabinet. According to him, the Constitutional Court and the Cabinet should take on his responsibility as individuals and report to Tikhanovskaya and the public in 6 months. He also noted that the process of “recovery of the democratic forces” is taking place.
Summing up the results of the first day of the conference, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya supported most of the theses of her colleagues. “We need to remember for whom this is being done, how Belarusians are taken into account in our plan. We will work to ensure that we really take into account future steps and share not only the case, but also the responsibility,” she said.
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