“New Belarus” passports planned
Lukashenko opponents unite
08/06/2023 11:13 p.m
Anyone who takes a stand against the Belarusian ruler faces imprisonment. The opposition is therefore acting primarily from abroad. In the future, Lukashenko’s opponents want to join forces.
Opponents of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who live in exile, want to form a stronger group. At an event in Poland on Sunday, opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya called on government critics to unite and support the creation of a “New Belarus” movement. “New Belarusian passports” should also be issued, and efforts should be made to have them recognized internationally.
Tichanovskaya made the statement on the eve of the third anniversary of her unsuccessful protests after the 2020 elections. At that time, the 40-year-old ran against Lukashenko and, according to her supporters, also won. However, the electoral authorities declared the incumbent the winner, who has ruled the country with an iron fist for almost 30 years and has taken action against his opponents. Tichanovskaya also fled abroad after the election. A year ago, she founded a self-proclaimed government-in-exile and has opened around 20 alternative embassies and information centers abroad.
Speaking to hundreds of people in a Warsaw hotel, she said the past three years had taught her to always be ready for the worst. “We have gotten used to the fact that our peaceful Belarus is now being described as an aggressor country and put on a par with Russia because of the policies of the regime,” she said, referring to Lukashenko’s support for the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. The opposition is also organizing initiatives, for example to preserve cultural identity.
In Belarus, Russian has long been the de facto main language, while the use of Belarusian is viewed by the authorities as oppositional. Tikhanovskaya’s husband Syarhey Tsikhanousk has been in prison in Belarus since 2020. He actually wanted to compete against Lukashenko in the election. But after the blogger was arrested, his wife decided to run for office.