Former presidential candidate of Belarus Svetlana Tikhanovskaya called the events taking place in the republic a "peaceful revolution", which, in her opinion, has nothing to do with the geopolitical struggle taking place in the world. She stated this, speaking by video link before the European Parliament.
According to the opposition leader, citizens of the republic are fighting for the right to "freely and honestly choose their leader and their destiny." Tikhanovskaya delivered her speech in English, focusing on the previously written text.
“Belarus has woken up. We are no longer the opposition, we represent the majority. A peaceful revolution is now taking place. The revolution in Belarus is not geopolitical in nature, it is neither pro-Russian nor anti-Russian ... It is a democratic revolution, ”said Tikhanovskaya.
Former rival Lukashenka reiterated that the August 9 election results were “falsified”. She expressed gratitude to Western leaders for “supporting the Belarusian people”. At the same time, Tikhanovskaya called on all the states of the world to respect the sovereignty of the republic and noted the opposition's readiness to negotiate with the official authorities.
“Our goal is to peacefully achieve fair and free elections, to achieve this through dialogue. I declare our readiness to negotiate with the authorities. We are ready to nominate our negotiators. We are ready to consider the possibility of involving international organizations as mediators to facilitate the dialogue, ”said Tikhanovskaya.
After her speech in front of the European Parliament on the YouTube channel "Country for Life", Tikhanovskaya's video message in Belarusian was published with an appeal to citizens to come out on the evening of August 25 to Independence Square in Minsk in honor of the anniversary of the adoption of the law on state sovereignty of the BSSR.
"The addressee is in the westerly direction"
At present, the Belarusian opposition has united under the so-called coordination council. Its members call this institute “a single representative body of the Belarusian society”.
The key goal of the coordinating council is "to find ways to overcome the political crisis" caused, as the oppositionists believe, "falsification" in the presidential elections.
- Opposition Coordination Council meeting
- © rada.vision
The council's regulations state that it operates in accordance with the republic's legal system. However, on August 25, the chairman of the Constitutional Court of Belarus, Pyotr Miklashevich, said that the basic law of the state "does not provide for the possibility of creating public bodies and organizations entitled to review the results of the presidential elections."
Upon the establishment of the Coordination Council, the Investigative Committee of Belarus is investigating a criminal case. On August 24, Minsk law enforcement officers detained two of the seven members of the Presidium of the Coordination Council - Tikhanovskaya's confidant Olga Kovalkova and the leader of the strike committee of the Minsk Tractor Plant Sergei Dylevsky.
The writer Svetlana Aleksievich and the former head of the Ministry of Culture of Belarus Pavel Latushko, who are also members of the coordinating council, were summoned for a conversation in the IC of the republic.
As noted by the President of the country Alexander Lukashenko, who, according to the Central Election Commission of the republic, received more than 80% of the votes, the activities of the coordinating council are not legitimate. According to the head of state, the creation of "alternative, parallel and other bodies" is aimed at "seizing power" and therefore is prosecuted by law.
“The so-called opposition headquarters. Surprisingly, there are already lined up and dividing portfolios. I want to say: dear Black Hundreds, the country does not have as many portfolios as there are you in the queue. We have brooms and shovels. We will provide, ”Lukashenka said at a meeting of the Security Council on August 19.
Moscow is also wary of the activities of the united Belarusian opposition. On August 23, speaking at the Territory of Meanings forum, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that some members of the coordination council negatively perceive the project of the Union State. In addition, the peaceful settlement of the situation in Belarus is not beneficial for them, the Russian Foreign Minister believes.
“Some Belarusian oppositionists who live in the West and from there are trying to influence what is happening in their country, really want it to be different, so that there is blood in order to provoke the reaction of the Belarusian security officials, who now do not bother anyone and do not interfere in peaceful demonstrations,” - Lavrov said.
Speaking about the situation around Belarus, the Russian Foreign Minister did not rule out external pressure on Tikhanovskaya. According to him, after the presidential elections, she left her native republic for Lithuania to "deal with family affairs and take care of children." However, then the ex-presidential candidate began to make “rather tough” political statements, call for protests and strikes, Lavrov stated.
- Protesters in Minsk
- Reuters
- © Vasily Fedosenko
In addition, the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry drew attention to the fact that Tikhanovskaya is increasingly speaking publicly in English.
“That is, the addressee, including, perhaps, the main addressee is in the western direction. And perhaps (I am not saying anything), the purpose of such a move is to prevent Western countries from settling down and persuading them to continue pulling this situation, "Lavrov said.
Let us remind you that on August 24, Tikhanovskaya met with US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Bigan, discussing with him the topic of a peaceful transfer of power in Belarus. On August 19, the European Commission decided to allocate € 53 million for the development of civil society in Belarus and the fight against coronavirus in the country.
"The figure of Tikhanovskaya will be won back"
Experts believe that currently Tikhanovskaya and the members of the coordination council take a position that is largely focused on the opinion of representatives of the Western elites. The US and EU authorities still do not recognize the election results, support protests, criticize Lukashenko, but do not dare to seriously spoil relations with official Minsk.
Thus, on August 22, in an interview with the Spanish newspaper El País, EU High Representative for Foreign Policy Josep Borrell said that Lukashenka had been illegally elected. At the same time, he stressed that Brussels should continue to work with the official authorities of Belarus. Borrell said that the EU “has no intention of turning the republic into a“ second Ukraine ”.
In a conversation with RT, Belarusian political scientist Aleksey Dzermant noted that the West realized the impossibility of displacing Lukashenko on the wave of protests and therefore decided to leave a "window" for communication with him. According to the expert, the EU understands that the thesis about the victory of Tikhanovskaya in the elections “does not have sufficient grounds”.
“Lukashenka is in control of the situation in the country, and the European Union sees it. The West needs the figure of Tikhanovskaya to delegitimize the regime of the current government, to form forces around it that will fight the leadership of Belarus, receive financial, informational and organizational pumping from abroad. Although they understand that Tikhanovskaya has big problems with the same legitimacy, ”says Dzermant.
The political scientist believes that the West has a significant impact on the Belarusian opposition, and therefore called Tikhanovskaya's statement that the activities of her supporters are not anti-Russian in nature. Dzermant believes that the ex-presidential candidate of Belarus and her entourage "hide a pro-Western attitude", fearing that he will not find support in society and will play against them.
In addition, the expert sees no prerequisites for establishing a civilized dialogue between the opposition and the authorities.
“I doubt the opposition’s willingness to compromise. She, with an ultimatum, demands new elections across the street ... Given the current nature of relations between the protesters and the leadership of Belarus, the organizers and participants of unauthorized rallies can hardly become a capable political force in principle, ”says Dzermant.
- Security officials and protesters in the center of Minsk
- Reuters
- © Vasily Fedosenko
Pavel Feldman, Deputy Director of the Institute for Strategic Studies and Forecasts of the RUDN University, shares a similar point of view. In an interview with RT, the expert said that the Belarusian opposition is trying to improve its image with peaceful rhetoric, although in reality the removal of Lukashenko from the presidency is possible only by violent, and therefore illegal, methods.
“Tikhanovskaya wants to show the disposition of the opposition forces in Belarus to dialogue with the authorities for the benefit of society. But the only goal of Lukashenka's opponents is to come to power as soon as possible. Tikhanovskaya is clearly being disingenuous when she talks about a "peaceful revolution." Everyone understands that the opposition has no other way to come to power, except by force, ”Feldman stressed.
According to the political scientist, the external forces that provoke the Belarusian protests realize that if the peaceful nature of the rallies remains, interest in them will fade away. And the transfer of unrest into the "destructive phase", which is accompanied by bloodshed, as a rule, allows concentrating more resources for a coup, Feldman said.
“It is difficult to predict the situation, but, in my opinion, it is obvious that the opposition movement is gradually acquiring an anti-Russian coloration ... Nevertheless, Tikhanovskaya does not have a long-term political future. I think that after some time her figure will be won back, because the West will have nothing to squeeze out of her, ”Feldman summed up.