Pavel Latushka: "If We Dissolve the Coordination Council, Generals in Minsk Will Celebrate New Promotions"

Pavel Latushka, Warsaw, 2026. Photo: Ruslan Seradzyuk

Elections have always been and remain the principal source of democracy, and under the conditions of a totalitarian dictatorship inside the country, we have no right to abandon this unique instrument. It allows us to form a democratic institution through the votes of Belarusians, regardless of where we live, writes Pavel Latushka, Deputy Head of the United Transitional Cabinet and leader of the electoral list in the elections to the Coordination Council, "Latushka Coalition and the ‘For Freedom’ Movement", in his address to the audience of Radio Svaboda.

Source: svaboda.org

We must not allow the process of democratic formation of our institutions to be interrupted precisely now, when there is a real threat to the future of the country and its independence. At the same time, it is important to understand that the legitimacy of the Coordination Council is determined not only by the number of people who voted, but also by the scope and scale of the tasks being carried out in the interests of Belarus and Belarusians, as well as by the reach of its activities across countries where Belarusians reside.

Of course, the Coordination Council can and should be criticized for inefficiency, but at the same time we must not close our eyes to the fact that the Coordination Council is on the front line of pressure from all branches of the regime’s special services. The goal of the regime and its special services is absolutely obvious — to destroy the representative body of Belarusians. Are we really prepared to agree that our interests coincide with the interests of the regime, namely the depoliticization of society and the elimination of elections as a form of democratic expression?

The answer, I believe, is more than obvious — no. And this answer is being given by the nine electoral lists and 172 candidates running in the elections to the parliament independent from Lukashenko’s dictatorship — the Coordination Council — who are assuming political responsibility and readiness to risk, if necessary, even their lives and health so that the collective voice of Belarusians may be heard.

Today, we are effectively at war, where not only weapons are used, but also disinformation aimed at discreditation. Therefore, it is important for us to remain tolerant and thoughtful in our assessments, without allowing ourselves to speculate on narratives that are artificially created within the regime in order to demotivate us from continuing political struggle.

Let us imagine an ideal scenario: one million Belarusians cast their votes in the elections to the Coordination Council. Would any international partner then dare to bypass our interests? Ignore them in relations with the regime that usurped power in our country? Of course not. Would this voice influence the internal political situation in Belarus? Undoubtedly yes.

A real parliament — not the regime’s imitation parliament — is our genuine voice on the international stage.

Let us look at what we have managed to achieve even with the 6,700 voters who cast their ballots for the third convocation of the Coordination Council in 2024. As of today, our representative body has been recognized by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, as well as by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, where our official delegations are active. This happened for the first time in the history of the democratic forces and, in fact, in the history of Belarus. The Coordination Council has also been recognized by the European Parliament and the Senate of Poland, while the 2024 elections were directly observed by members of the French National Assembly.

In parallel, delegates of the Coordination Council conducted bilateral meetings with parliamentarians from dozens of democratic countries, during which the interests of Belarus and Belarusians — both inside and outside the country — were actively advocated. The Coordination Council has consistently lobbied for accountability of representatives of the Lukashenko regime, as well as for sanctions pressure aimed at securing the release of political prisoners.

We succeeded in lobbying for a whole series of additions and amendments to resolutions of the European Parliament concerning sanctions pressure, accountability for torture against political prisoners, international criminal responsibility for crimes against humanity committed against the Belarusian people, and responsibility for aggression against Ukraine.

Even a single amendment, achieved through the work of the Coordination Council delegation, to the resolution of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on the responsibility of Lukashenko and his accomplices for the act of aggression against Ukraine is sufficient reason for the Coordination Council to exist. Had we not been present in PACE, that amendment would not have existed either. A real parliament — not the regime’s imitation parliament — is our true voice on the international stage.

It is important to emphasize that neither the House of Representatives nor the Council of the Republic could ever even imagine achieving what the Coordination Council accomplished in just one year and ten months of work.

Moreover, the Coordination Council directly influences the activities of the United Transitional Cabinet: every Cabinet member first undergoes a vote confirming their mandate for appointment and subsequently reports to the Coordination Council on their work, while the Coordination Council also conducts votes of confidence.

The results of this work are visible at the level of national parliaments of other countries as well. Both the Sejm and the Senate of Poland refused to recognize Lukashenko as president — and members of the Coordination Council also lobbied for this outcome. PACE likewise refused to recognize Lukashenko as president, which became the result of the work of our first-ever delegation to PACE.

In turn, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe granted delegates of the Coordination Council the right to observe elections in the 46 member states of the Council of Europe. Let me emphasize: not to observe us, but for us to observe them — and this is a unique precedent.

A special place in our work is occupied by the legalization of Belarusians abroad — something the Coordination Council works on daily and one of the issues that concerns voters outside Belarus most deeply. Constant and continuous lobbying is carried out during meetings with colleagues from the parliaments of dozens of democratic countries: Austria, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Canada, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, France, Croatia, Sweden, Estonia, and many others.

Eighty voices united within one institution are a real force and a strengthening of our Belarusian voice.

Of course, there are no instant solutions to all problems, nor can there be. Politics does not achieve all goals in a single day. Even a national parliament cannot force the government of another country to resolve all issues concerning foreign citizens during one meeting. This requires daily work, lobbying, and negotiation. We must not forget that every country has its own national interests.

Speaking about the importance of the Coordination Council as an institution, it is worth remembering: a delegate who holds a mandate from voters is many times more effective than a self-appointed or self-proclaimed politician. These are democratic standards recognized within the European Union. Every partner country has its own internal issues, but when 80 delegates lobby for our interests, this is no longer the voice of one person, even if that person is the most famous and influential democratic politician of the country — Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.

Eighty voices united within one institution are a real force and a strengthening of our Belarusian voice.

The regime has always sought to eliminate genuine elections, transforming them into a formal calendar procedure for extending powers. But we cannot and have no right, as people who believe in democracy, to renounce its very essence, where the key words are “elections” and "choice".

I would like to remind you that in a recent interview with the Russian propaganda channel RT, Lukashenko reflected on conducting a "reform of state governance using the experience of the old days" — meaning the Soviet past, where the Communist Party played the leading and decisive role. It is obvious that his main dream is to eliminate the institution of elections once and for all. He organically rejects the very fact that the president and deputies are elected positions, not lifelong privileges. These are offices to which the people appoint politicians by evaluating their proposals and their responsibility for implementing programs.

That is precisely why we vitally need our own real representative body of Belarusians — the Coordination Council.

Today, it is our only opportunity to maintain a democratic alternative to the authoritarian regime. In the same interview, the dictator complained: "Westerners recommended to us, first of all, multiparty politics, pluralism of opinions, and so on". He directly calls adherence to these recommendations a mistake. Lukashenko is deeply hostile to the very idea of a democratic path of development. He does not even hide that he deliberately led the country toward authoritarianism: “And when I became president, even without possessing the power I possess now, I began reforming the country. The foolish reforms were abolished in the harshest possible way".

As a vivid illustration of how this system functions, I can recall a story from personal experience. 

After my return from France, where I served as ambassador, the then-chairman of the Council of the Republic proposed that I write a letter to the dictator requesting appointment to the upper chamber of Lukashenko’s parliament. 

This clearly demonstrates the true state of affairs: in Belarus, deputies of the House of Representatives and members of the Council of the Republic are not elected — they are effectively appointed from above. We, by contrast, propose a genuine democratic instrument — elections.

After my return from France, the chairman of the Council of the Republic suggested that I write a letter to the dictator requesting appointment to the upper chamber of Lukashenko’s parliament.

Today we have a unique opportunity to change this system. Let us vote! Let us together create a real alternative to appointed pseudo-parliamentary structures.

Lukashenko does not have our support, but we must constantly reaffirm that he has no right to speak on our behalf. By electing our parliament — the Coordination Council — we preserve this right for Belarusians.

Because if we dissolve the Coordination Council, then champagne — even Soviet champagne, perhaps especially Soviet champagne — will only be needed to celebrate new ranks for another group of lieutenant colonels and generals in Minsk. And the seats of the Coordination Council at negotiations in European capitals will be taken by Gaidukeviches, Gigins, and Azaronoks, who represent the interests of the regime, not those of Belarusians.

And finally, last in order but not in importance: it is impossible to imagine discussions in a democratic society about abolishing parliamentarianism, even at the stage of its emergence. One can always speak about improving and strengthening parliamentarianism, but never about eliminating or dismantling it — that is the road to dictatorship.

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