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  • Opening Remarks by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya at the International Conference “Democratic Elections for Resolution of Crisis in Belarus”

    June 01, 2021

    “Dear ladies and gentlemen, dear Belarusians, international partners, and friends,

    I am very glad to welcome you at this international conference dedicated to holding democratic elections. It is of crucial importance that we gathered today to discuss free and fair elections as the solution to the current crisis in Belarus. You might want to ask me – why now? The answer is simple.

    The hijacking of the Ryanair plane in the Belarusian airspace, the persecution of the independent media portal TUT.by, Vitold Ashurak’s recent death in prison, and the suicide of the 17-year-old Dmitry Stakhouski are only some of the gruesome and tragic events of the past weeks. A few minutes ago, we learned that activist Stsiapan Latypau tried to cut his throat in the courtroom because he was threatened with the persecution of his relatives if he did not admit his guilt for what he had not done.

    All of this demonstrates that the peak of the unprecedented repression, ongoing for the last 10 months, has not passed yet and that the crackdown is actually intensifying. They remind us that none of this would have happened had free and fair elections been held in August 2020.

    Thus, it is high time we gathered to speak about the early election to end the political crisis in Belarus. This spring, almost 800,000 Belarusians took part in online voting and expressed their support for negotiations leading to an early election. Moreover, a great number of international actors have supported this idea.

    Both our citizens and our international friends understand that we are building a New Belarus, a democratic country where the government will be based solely on the will of the people. To achieve this, we demand to stop the violence and release all political prisoners. The number of political prisoners has now reached a colossal 450, and it is constantly growing, with hundreds more pending official recognition.

    The regime’s sense of impunity is due to the fact that these people were not democratically elected. Therefore, they do not feel accountable to the people of Belarus. They think that the policy of violence and fearmongering will help them stay in power. At the same time, the regime is trying to imitate the dialogue by creating sham initiatives and conducting consultations with hand-picked loyalists. This is also true about the announced constitutional reform that does not promise any real change or solution to the crisis. It is a mere window-dressing exercise. We should not let these developments trick us or put our plans on hold, especially when the government is trying to postpone the upcoming local elections.

    We know that organizing new free and fair elections is a complex process. That is why we invited our international partners, including election commissions of democratic countries, to exchange on the best practices. Today, we have here with us over 200 representatives of Belarusian political parties and civic initiatives and government authorities and NGOs from other states. More than XXX people are watching us live right now.

    We also sent invitations to the representatives of the Belarusian government. We are open to dialogue with them to find a way out of this crisis. Unfortunately, we have not received any response to our official invitation. Nonetheless, I would like to address Belarusian government officials who are tuning in today. Lukashenka lost the last year’s election, and he knows it, do not follow him to the abyss. I want to remind you that the people of Belarus are the only source of power under the Constitution. And you should respect their will. I call on you to support your people and build the New Belarus together with us.

    Dear participants,

    During the first day of the conference, we will discuss how we can make the early election happen as soon as possible. The second day will be dedicated to the free and fair election in a short-term perspective and the long-term reforms needed in new Belarus. Probably, we will not find all the answers in these two days, but we will kick-start some crucial conversations, and expert discussions will follow. In a minute, we will hold a high-level panel with the representatives of the European Parliament, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, and International IDEA. I am very grateful they could join us today. Our colleague from the US Congress, unfortunately, had to cancel due to an emergency, but I have met with three US Senators literally 30 minutes ago, and I know for a fact that the American people stand with Belarus.  

    I am also grateful to the team of experts and co-organizers – IFES, DRI, International IDEA – for the fruitful cooperation. I am grateful to everyone who will be presenting at the conference, including the European Central Election Commissions representatives and their association. We want to exchange views with you on how to organize free and fair elections according to international standards, and we want to cooperate with you in the future.

    Dear Belarusians,

    While the international community is closing the door for the undemocratic regime, the door is being opened to the people of Belarus and the new country we are building. Free and fair elections are the key to the new democratic Belarus, let’s build it together!”.

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