Coordination Council | |
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Type | |
Type | |
History | |
Established | 14 August 2020 |
Preceded by | National Assembly of Belarus (claimed) |
Leadership | |
Key People | |
Seats | 55 |
Website | |
rada.vision |
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Belarus portal |
The Coordination Council for the Transfer of Power (CCTP, Belarusian: Каардынацыйная рада, romanized: Kaardynacyjnaja rada; Russian: Координационный совет, romanized: Koordinatsionnyy sovyet) is a non-governmental body created by presidential candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya to facilitate a democratic transfer of power in Belarus. The council, founded during the 2020 Belarusian protests in response to the disputed 2020 Belarusian presidential election, has 64 core members (as of 13 February 2021[update][1]) with a 7-member leadership presidium.
The first meeting of the Council took place on 18 August 2020.[2][3] From late August to mid-October several of the presidium members were arrested or chose to exile themselves from Belarus, fearing repression by Belarusian security forces.[4] In September 2020, Lithuania, where the council was based as of 2020[update], became the only sovereign state to recognize the CCTP as the sole legitimate government of Belarus.[5]
The formation of the Coordination Council was announced on 14 August 2020, in a video released by Tsikhanouskaya. In the video, she also claimed that she had received between 60 and 70% of the vote in the 9 August presidential election, more than enough for an outright victory over longtime president Alexander Lukashenko. She appealed to the international community to recognise her as the winner.[6] Tsikhanouskaya stated that the aims of the council is to coordinate a peaceful and orderly transfer of power from Lukashenko[7][8][9] and to hold a new, free and fair presidential election at the earliest opportunity.
On 17 August, Tsikhanouskaya released a video in which she stated that she was ready to lead a transitional government.[10]
On 18 August, the Council held its first press conference with questions being answered by Olga Kovalkova, Maxim Znak, Maria Kolesnikova, Pavel Latushko, and Sergey Dylevsky.[11]
On 19 August, the Council elected a 7-member Presidium.[12]
On 19 August, Tsikhanouskaya recorded an appeal to EU leaders not to recognise the presidential election results in a meeting of EU heads of government scheduled for later that day.[13]
On 19 August, Alexander Lukashenko described the Coordination Council members, stating, "Some of them were once in or close to power. They were kicked out and hold a grudge. Others are outright Nazis. Just take a look at their names."[14][15] On the same day, former presidential contender Valery Tsepkalo said he did not understand the criteria for the new council's formation and its tasks. He complained that he was not invited.[16]
On 20 August, Prosecutor-General Alexander Konyuk initiated criminal proceedings against the Coordination Council members under Article 361 of the Belarusian Criminal Code.[17][18] In a statement released, Konyuk alleged that the "creation and activity of the Coordination Council are aimed at seizure of state power, and at harming national security" and that "the creation of such bodies is not allowed in law, and they are unconstitutional."[19] On the same day, presidium members Dylevsky and Znak were summoned for police questioning.[20] Znak and Dylevsky arrived for questioning on the morning of 21 August and were later released.[21]
On 21 August, Tsikhanouskaya's lawyer Znak filed a formal protest concerning the presidential election with the Supreme Court of Belarus. Znak said that "A complaint has been submitted. A decision on when to start proceedings is due within three days."[22] On 24 August, presidium members Dylevsky and Kovalkova were detained by OMON officers whilst attempting to support a wildcat strike at the Minsk Tractor Works factory.[23] Presidium members Vlasova, Latushko, Alexievich, and Kolesnikova were also summoned for questioning.[24] Both Kovalkova and Dylevsky were sentenced to 10 days' imprisonment the following day.[25]
On 26 August, Ivonka Survilla, President of the Rada of the Belarusian People's Republic, expressed her support for Tsikhanouskaya.[26]
On 31 August, presidium member Vlasova was detained by the OMON.[27]
On 5 September, presidium member Kovalkova chose to leave Belarus rather than remain in detention over the Section 361 charges.[28]
On 7 September, presidium member Kolesnikova was detained by unidentified masked men in Minsk.[29][30]
On 9 September 2020, the only member of the presidium not yet arrested or missing was Nobel Prize in Literature laureate Svetlana Alexievich.[31] However, there were reports from Belarusian journalists that unknown men were knocking at the doors of her home.[32] As of 9 August 2020, she was under round-the-clock guard by diplomats for several European countries, including ambassadors from Poland and Lithuania.[33][34][35]
At a press conference in Poland, council member Pavel Latushko condemned the situation in Belarus, claiming that 10,000 people were subject to misconduct and imprisonment orchestrated by the security forces. He stated that 450 people were tortured, and protesters were put into jail on fake charges. Latushko and Olga Kovalkova invited the OSCE and United Nations to send observers to Belarus to assess the situation.[36]
On 16 October, Svetlana Tsikhanouskaya was put on the wanted lists in Belarus and Russia on charges of "attempting to overthrow the constitutional order".[37]
Main article: National Anti-crisis Management |
In late October 2020, the Pavel Latushko, a presidium member, created National Anti-crisis Management (NAM), a shadow government, to manage the detailed administration tasks of a peaceful transfer of power leading to the inauguration of a newly elected president.[38][39] NAM published internal reports of the Belarusian Ministry of Internal Affairs, according to which 25,800 people had been detained between 9 August and 9 November 2020, and 4000 complaints of torture and other illegal actions had been lodged with the ministry and ignored.[40]
On 25 February 2023, Pavel Latushko announced he had left the Coordinating Council.[41]
In late November 2020, the Council published a draft document for debating the creation of a truth and reconciliation commission for the purposes of transitional justice. The commission, termed a "special agency", would "consider the use of physical force, special equipment and weapons against citizens in connection with political positions" or the violation or calls for the violation of citizens' rights by public officials.[42] The agency would only consider individual responsibility; membership of an organisation would not be grounds for prosecution. In cases in which no physical harm was involved, the accused would go through a conciliation procedure. Other cases would be prosecuted under administrative, "disciplinary," or criminal law. The showing of "effective remorse" or the lack of it would weaken or strengthen some of the financial and property penalties in the proposed legal definition of the agency's powers.[43]
See also: United Transitional Cabinet |
On 9 August 2022, Tsikhanouskaya announced the formation of the United Transitional Cabinet, a transitional government led by Tsikhanouskaya.[44][45]
In January 2023, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus recognized the Coordination Council as an extremist organization. According to Belarusian legislation, members of extremist groups face imprisonment.[46][47] Earlier, in 2021–2022, Belarusian courts recognized the Council's internet resources as extremist materials.[48] In November 2023, more than 130 searches were conducted, and more than 145 properties were arrested during a massive raid conducted by the Belarusian criminal police against the members of the Coordination Council and their relatives.[49] According to Belarusian human rights activists, people allegedly associated with the Constitutional Court are approached with search warrants under six articles of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus:
On January 23, 2024, the Belarusian Investigative Committee announced that charges where brought against the Secretary of the Coordination Council Ivan Kravtsov, who has been accused of conspiracy or other actions committed to seize government power, сreation of an extremist formation and other articles of the criminal code.[51] Kravtsov has been the secretary of the Coordination Council since its formation in 2020.[52]
The council has stated that its primary goals are:[53]
Council Presidium member Pavel Latushko stated that the Council does not want to radically change the course of Belarusian foreign policy, adding that it wants to maintain "friendly and profound" relations with Russia, as well as to have a good working relationship with the European Union and to act as a bridge between the east and west.[54]
Tsikhanouskaya stated that applications to the council were open to Belarusian citizens who recognised the officially declared election results to be falsified, and who were trusted by social groups. Applications were invited from individuals representing workers' groups, political parties, trade unions, and other organisations of civic society and from authoritative figures such as doctors, teachers, business leaders, authors, or sportspersons.[55] Olga Kovalkova and lawyer Maxim Znak were given responsibility for collating and approving membership applications.[56]
The Council elected a 7-member presidium on 19 August 2020.[12] The members of the presidium are:[57][58]
Name | Detentions/disappearances | Out of Belarus as of/since |
---|---|---|
Alexievich | Out 28 Sep 2020–[62] | |
Dylevsky | 24 Aug–17 Sep 2020[24][4] | Out c. 13 Oct 2020–[4] |
Kalesnikava | 7 Sep 2020–[29][63] | |
Kovalkova | 24 Aug–3 Sep 2020[24] | Out as of 5 September 2020[update][28] |
Latushko | Out as of 9 September 2020[update][36] | |
Vlasova | 31 Aug–24 Oct 2020[27][64] | |
Znak | 9 Sep 2020–[65][66] |
An initial membership list, consisting of 35 members, was circulated on 17 August and expanded to 51 members on 18 August.[67][68] The council had 59 members in its core membership group on 29 August 2020,[69] increasing to 64 members as of 13 February 2021[update].[1] In addition to the 7-member presidium, other members, as of 13 February 2021[update], include athlete Nadzeya Astapchuk, film director Jury Chaščavacki, civic leader Ales Bialiatski, politician Jury Hubarewicz , physicist Alexander Dabravolski, politician Andrei Egorov , Mikalai Kazlov of the United Civic Party of Belarus, Andrei Kureichik, politician Vital Rymasheuski, painter Uladzimir Tsesler, former EPAM Systems top-manager Maksim Bahratsou, independent analyst Siarhei Chaly.[1][70] On 24 August 2020, the council included an "expanded" support list of 600 members.[71]
As of 16 October 2020[update], the Coordination Council included working groups on several socio-political themes:[72]
On 31 August 2021 the Coordination Council presented a structure update that implies the election of representatives in key areas of development.[74]
Representatives of the Coordination Council should act as a liaison between international partners and national actors in certain areas, help establish professional ties, prepare analytical notes on the situation in their field, promote topics among international structures, participate in expert discussions, jointly develop support plans for certain sectors.
Representatives are elected positions with a 6-month mandate. The candidates publicly present the program, which should be implemented in the next six months.
Tsikhanouskaya asked the international community to support the efforts of the Coordination Council.[75]
On 1 November 2020, in the context of the October 2020 Polish protests, Polish citizens led by All-Poland Women's Strike created a Consultative Council that they said was inspired by the Belarusian Coordination Council.[128]