Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya called to join the “Rabochy Rukh” (eng. “Workers’ Movement”) launched by Belarusian workers through the stachka.org platform. The goal of the movement is to build up forces for the national strike and defend workers’ rights in enterprises and companies.
Ms. Tsikhanouskaya's Senior Advisor Franak Viačorka answered the most frequent questions of Belarusians about dialogue for a peaceful solution to the crisis in Belarus.
- Why do you talk about negotiations when there are such repressions in the country?
- Which countries have already agreed to help Belarusians?
- How are you going to bring the regime to negotiate?
- Which of the officials, military leaders, or business people did you talk to?
The chatbot “Spotlight of Regions”, launched by the Office volunteers, received several hundred messages about the real problems of different Belarusian regions. Within a week, the office will release the first analytics on them. People can send information to the chatbot t.me/bel2020_bot.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and Valery Kavaleuski held an online meeting of the Cabinet of Representatives. The Cabinet is working on the concept of the new Electoral Code, the program of economic reforms, and the discussion of the draft Constitution.
The leader of democratic Belarus held a meeting with the Coordinating Council representatives and discussed the framework document for forming a negotiating team to resolve the crisis in Belarus. They also discussed a campaign to promote the concept of National Reconciliation.
Aliaksandr Shlyk, Ms. Tsikhanouskaya's special representative for elections, analyzed what the regime wants to change in the Constitution – “and again does it in secret from the people”.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya spoke at the Polish Economic Forum, where she called on Polish politicians and business leaders to support the struggle of Belarusians for freedom. At the same forum, Franak Viačorka, together with an adviser to the President of Poland and the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland, took part in a debate on the relationship between the new US administration and the countries of Eastern Europe.
Ms. Tsikhanouskaya made calls with doctors, workers, diasporas, and students. Valery Kavaleuski spoke about the forthcoming international meetings of the Office at the online meeting of the diasporas. Franak Viačorka held an online meeting with volunteers on how to increase pressure on the regime to force a dialogue with the people.
Volunteers of the Office launched the #мненужныпереговоры (eng. “I need negotiations”) campaign. For the next four weeks, they will talk about how each of Belarusians can bring negotiations closer.
The Office held working consultations on preparations for the session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, which will consider two reports on Belarus: on elections and violation of human rights in Belarus. An online meeting of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya with the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe Maria Peichinovich-Burich is scheduled for April 19.
US Ambassador Julie Fischer is going to meet with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and her team in Vilnius. Therefore, the team held preliminary consultations to agree on the agenda with the US Department of State and the White House National Security Council.
In an interview with the “A Country to Live In” channel, Mr. Kavaleuski answered questions about future sanctions, the release of political prisoners, the situation in Belarus security forces, and relations with other states, from Russia and Ukraine to China and Japan.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's representative for economics Ales Aliakhnovich spoke about the lost decade under Lukashenka: salaries have decreased, and Belarus has become one of the poorest countries in Europe. By this, he stressed the importance of economic reforms in Belarus.
Anatoli Liabedzka, a representative of the Office on constitutional reform, met with the Ambassador of Ukraine to Belarus, Igor Kizim, and spoke about the meaning, advantages, and prospects of constitutional reform in Belarus.
Media appearances and interviews
The leader of democratic Belarus, in her interviews for Belarusian and international media, spoke about the situation in Belarus, massive repressions, and work on preparation for negotiations:
- TRT World: “One on One – Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, Belarusian Opposition Leader”
- Verslo zinios (Lithuania): “Interviu su S. Cichanouskaja: dabar jau suprantame, kad pokyčiai nebus žaibiški”
- INTEX-PRESS (Belarus, Baranavichy): “Боится ли Тихановская Лукашенко и верит ли в переговоры с ним? Эксклюзивное интервью Intex-press с экс-кандидатом в президенты”
- LRT (Lithuania): “Pasivaikščiojimai. Cichanouskaja: dabar matau, kad Lukašenka yra žmogus, kuris nesugebėjo garbingai baigti savo prezidentavimo”
- Dagblad Trouw (Netherlands): “Svetlana Tichanovskaja: “Ik kan het me niet veroorloven de hoop te verliezen”
- Radio 1 (Netherlands): “Waar blijft de Belarussische lente?”
