#Belarus - ‘We are not the opposition anymore. We are the majority now’ Tsikhanouskaya

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, candidate for the United Opposition Belarus, at a rally before 9 August presidential elections

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the presidential candidate for the  United Opposition Belarus addressed the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs. David McAllister MEP (EPP, DE), chairman of the committee, welcomed Tsikhanouskaya, who he said was widely regarded as the candidate who got the majority of the votes in the recent presidential elections. He praised her courage during the election campaign.

Tskikhanouskaya said that the country was in crisis following the unfair election and that many peaceful protesters had been illegally detained, six have been killed and dozens are still missing. Outlining the many obvious failings in the official election results, she thanked EU leaders for jointly declaring the election result fraudulent. 

She said that the largest public demonstrations in the history of Belarus, mean that Belarus has woken up, stating: “We are not the opposition anymore. We are the majority now.” 

She said that the revolution is peaceful and not geopolitical, neither pro, or anti-Russia, or pro, or anti-European Union, but a democratic revolution. She said that Belarus is a part of Europe: culturally, historically, and geographically and was committed to the norms of international law - underlining that the rule of law, human rights, independence of the judiciary, and media freedom were of primary importance to the new reborn Belarus. 

She said she was ready for negotiations with the authorities and to involve international mediators. Her main demands are the respect of basic rights, the release of political prisoners and an end to violence and intimidation by the authorities.

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