What did the Coordination Council elections achieve for Belarusians?
The three-day voting period for the Coordination Council elections concluded yesterday, with 6,723 individuals casting their votes. The Election Commission is currently tallying the results, and the final outcome will be revealed on June 8th.
Undoubtedly, such a modest turnout is not a cause for celebration. We acknowledge the factors that contributed to this outcome, emphasizing that the responsibility does not lie with the voters. It is not the place of any responsible politician to cast blame on the people they aim to represent.
From our perspective, the primary reasons for the low turnout are as follows:
significant obstruction by the Lukashenko regime;
a systematic campaign of repression and intimidation during the elections;
the designation of all electoral lists as "extremist": This has resulted in 257 criminal cases being launched against election participants, alongside property seizures, various forms of pressure, and the detention and arrest of their family members. The "Latushka’s Team and the Movement “For Freedom”" coalition list alone has documented over 25 cases of property confiscation and reprisals against relatives.
cyberattacks targeting the voting platform: these attacks were designed to disrupt and undermine the electoral process.
VPN blocking: this measure restricted access to information and hampered participation in the elections, etc.
In essence, Belarusians both within the country and abroad have been subjected to an environment of persistent terror and fear since 2020. These are undoubtedly far from conducive conditions for conducting free and fair elections.
However, it is crucial that we also acknowledge our own shortcomings:
internal disputes within the democratic forces: these conflicts have undermined the unity of the democratic movement;
the ineffectiveness of the previous Coordination Council;
resistance to the concept of direct elections: this has hindered the advancement of a more democratic system;
disagreements and an ultimately flawed compromise regarding election timelines.
While it's tempting to dwell on explanations, our priority now should be to honor the trust placed in us by the 7,000 voters who trusted us and participated in the elections.
Therefore, our team, the "Latushka’s Team and the Movement “For Freedom”" coalition, remains undeterred by the results.
Firstly, thousands of Belarusians, despite facing immense pressure and obstacles, placed their trust in us, casting their votes for our vision and the program we presented. We are committed to honoring that trust through our actions. Our responsibility to our voters remains unwavering, regardless of whether they number in the hundreds, thousands, or hundreds of thousands. We will fulfill the promises we made – in fact, we are already working towards those goals. That’s the core of our approach.
Secondly, this outcome presents us with a significant and ambitious challenge. The support we received, while modest in number, serves as a crucial foundation. It is our duty to transform this initial support, multiplying it tenfold, then a hundredfold, through our efforts.
Reflecting on the key takeaways from these elections, two points stand out:
The 7,000 votes cast represent 7,000 times more legitimacy than any so-called "elective" body under Lukashenko's regime, as there are no, and cannot be, any genuine elections under his rule. This starkly highlights the legitimacy of the current Coordination Council compared to Lukashenko's facade of democracy. It's a promising start.
The primary task of the first elected Coordination Council is clear: to significantly increase public trust, ideally by tenfold or even a hundredfold. This will be achieved through demonstrably effective actions, tangible results, and a consistent commitment to impactful work.
What is the current Coordination Council?
We can unequivocally agree that the Coordination Council is an elected representative body, albeit one elected with a modest voter turnout at this stage. Moving forward, the Council must collectively and unambiguously define its purpose, enshrining this definition within its Statute.
Furthermore, it is essential that the new Coordination Council collaborates effectively with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the president-elect, and the United Transitional Cabinet, the executive branch. This collaboration should extend to influencing the Cabinet's formation, ensuring that the entire system operates seamlessly and adheres to a unified strategy. This shared strategic vision is paramount given the current crisis. We are not operating under normal circumstances; we are engaged in a struggle for power – not amongst ourselves, but against the Lukashenko regime. This reality must underpin all our actions.
It is also crucial to recognize that the use of voting as a tool for democratic participation should not conclude with the elections. We must ensure that Belarusians have genuine influence over the work of the Coordination Council, including the ability to shape project priorities and direct funding towards initiatives that address the needs of society. To achieve this, we must establish a clear mechanism for public input, potentially leveraging the Belarus ID platform to conduct surveys and facilitate voting on key issues.
By undertaking initiatives that resonate with and assist tens or even hundreds of thousands of Belarusians, we can significantly bolster support for the Coordination Council.