Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “You know, over the past 28 years, many Belarusians have wondered: what if Lukashenka departs? And, of course, one immediately thinks of champagne and a nationwide celebration. But in reality, after the celebration, our country will face a difficult time. The entire nation will need to work hard to begin rebuilding everything that has been destroyed over the years, and most importantly – make sure that another dictator or Russian protege does not emerge and Belarus remains independent.
The so-called “elite” will start fighting hard for power. Do not expect them to stay united when the moment comes. There is already tension between different branches of the regime's power structure with varying attitudes towards repression. But their biggest problem is that they have relied on Lukashenka for years. They owe their ranks to him. His departure will make all of their influence very fragile and their ambitions enormous. Today they still can blame Lukashenka for the repression, deaths, and illegal seizure of power. But they will not be able to do it in the future.
That is when the real power and voice must belong to the Belarusian people. Because it will be in that period that their fate and the fate of the whole country will be decided. And it is at that moment that negotiations must take place and new elections must be scheduled – to resolve the political crisis and the growing rift within the society. The democratic forces have already developed a strategy for the transitional period. When we finish the discussions, a public version will be released.
I want to address all Belarusians and say: I am ready to take responsibility and be your voice during this difficult time, to hold honest elections and prevent chaos and the emergence of a new dictator.”
