Preparation for negotiations:
– Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya summed up the results of the first stage of preparation for the negotiations and announced the second stage of work.
– Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya appealed to international leaders for the support of the Coordination Council to stop criminal and administrative prosecutions against its members.
– Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Emmanuel Macron, in a video conference with President Vladimir Putin, discussed an initiative to organize an inclusive dialogue and hold free elections in Belarus (press release the Elysee Palace, press release by the Office of the Federal Chancellor).
– On March 31, the Foreign Minister of Finland Pekka Haavisto called Belarus Foreign Minister Uladzimir Makei to discuss the need to start a dialogue with people in Belarus.
– The United States warned about the upcoming resumption of sanctions against “Belneftekhim” and 8 other Belarusian state-owned enterprises if political prisoners are not released and a dialogue with the people of Belarus is not started.
– UN Special Rapporteurs issued a joint statement calling on the regime to end violence, rather than “arbitrarily seek to suppress all forms of dissent through unjustified violence and intimidation.” Earlier in March, Ms. Tsikhanouskaya met with UN Special Rapporteurs in Geneva.
– The head of the Cabinet of Representatives Valery Kavaleuski and the representative of the Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on economics Ales Aliakhnovich discussed with the representatives of the European Commission the Comprehensive Plan of EU assistance to Belarus, which contains macroeconomic support for the transitional stage after the new election.
– Franak Viačorka discussed with the Spanish Ambassador in Vilnius Jose Maria Robles Fraga the planned visit of the Foreign Minister of Spain Arancha González Laya to Vilnius. Mr. Viačorka also met with the Ambassador of Norway Ole Terje Horpestad and discussed the situation with the Yara International contract with JSC Belaruskali. Dzianis Kuchynski, Senior Foreign Affairs Officer of Ms. Tsikhanouskaya's international team, made working calls with the ambassadors of Greece and Italy, where he discussed the work on organizing negotiations.
– The leader of democratic Belarus addressed the Senate of the Republic of Poland together with politicians from the Czech Republic, the United States, and Lithuania. The participants discussed how to force the regime to negotiate, as well as involve Russia in the discussion of a solution to the Belarusian crisis. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya suggested creating a high-level mission on Belarus at the European Parliament.
– PACE adopted a draft resolution on the need for urgent electoral reform in Belarus, and Ms. Tsikhanouskaya's special representative for elections, Aliaksandr Shlyk, published the fourth draft decision for the new elections – on how election commissions can be formed.
– Valery Kavaleuski discussed the participation of Austria and Germany in organizing the negotiations with representatives of the Austrian parties and the secretariat of the German Green Party. Kavaleuski spoke about preparations for the negotiations and discussed new steps by Austria and Germany to support Belarusians.
Support and mutual assistance:
– Volunteers of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office launched the “Spotlight of the Regions” initiative. Thanks to the @bel2020_bot chatbot, the Office will collect information about real life in the regions of Belarus.
– Ms. Tsikhanouskaya discussed new and safe forms of protest during calls with students of BSU and BSUIR, medical workers, courtyard initiatives, and representatives of the joint strike committee Naftan, Belarusian Steel Works, and Hrodna Azot. During the call, the workers discussed the possibility of strengthening the strike, cooperation with the trade unions, and assistance to the strike committee.
– In partnership with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office, from April 1 enrollment for the Kalinowski program for repressed students from Belarus opens. Instructions for submitting documents for the program are published on the Facebook page of representative’s for the education team.
– Volunteers of the Office launched a telegram bot for the “Volnyja Paštouki” (eng. “Free Cards”) project so that people around the world in three languages could learn how to help political prisoners and receive a postcard from their letters in exchange for donations in favor of the “Pisma v kletochku” (eng “Checkered letters”) initiative.
– Ms. Tsikhanouskaya met with representatives of the regional branches of the Belarusian Association of Journalists and expressed support for journalists against the backdrop of increasing repression.
Media appearances and interviews:
The leader of democratic Belarus in an interview with foreign publications spoke about the situation in Belarus, repressions, and work on preparation for negotiations:
- Европейская правда (Ukraine): “Тихановская о Майдане, Путине и Крыме. Украинское интервью лидера белорусских протестов”
- Настоящее время: “Идет борьба на измор режима: властям постоянно страшно, что люди выйдут на улицы, и люди выходят”
- Detroit News (USA): “Housewife mom' leads Slipper Revolution”
- Gazeta Wyborcza (Poland): “Białorusini się nie poddali. Pamiętajcie o nas i wspierajcie nas”
- Die Presse (Austria): “Belarussische Oppositionsführerin: „Verteidigt endlich eure Werte!”
- Newsweek Poland (Poland): “Nie czuję się bezpiecznie, ale nie mam czasu, by o tym myśleć. Wiem, że muszę walczyć”.
