June 21, Pozirk. Arciom Bruchan was elected as speaker of the opposition Coordination Council on the evening of June 20, but at least one faction said it would challenge the election results.
The United Civic Platform (UCP) faction did not take part in the vote, claiming that at least four of eight faction leaders had not been notified in a timely manner on the rules of procedure for the nomination of candidates and had not been given an opportunity to put forward their candidates.
Bruchan, of the coalition of Pavieł Łatuška and the Movement for Freedom, which holds 34 of 80 seats on the Coordination Council, was backed by 62 of the 66 members who took part in the vote. The other four voted for their Vaš Hołas faction leader, Andrej Kołas.
Opposition leader Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja congratulated Bruchan on election on June 21.
Bruchan said in his first post on election that he would be working toward the launch of a dialogue between the government and the opposition.
“Efforts toward an understanding between representatives of the functioning authority, democratic forces and society can enhance the country’s internal resilience, its sovereignty and ability to advance own national interests,” he said.
Noting risks for the country’s security and independence, he said that the Coordination Council should do its best to prevent Belarus from being involved deeper in a military escalation and make sure the nation is able to determine its future independently.
A total of 2,113 Belarusians voted in the opposition’s Coordination Council election held in May.
As many as 174 candidates representing nine political groups were running for the 80-member Coordination Council.
Belarusian authorities branded all groups as “extremist” in an attempt to disrupt the voting.
The Coordination Council is a non-governmental body established in 2020 to facilitate a democratic transfer of power in Belarus. The Council originally had 64 core members with a seven-member leadership board. Amid the post-election crackdown in Belarus, many of the Council’s members were arrested or forced into exile.
In 2022 and 2023, the Coordination Council was re-established abroad as a body consisting of representatives of various pro-democracy groups in exile.
In May 2024, the Council held its first direct online election, with more than 6,700 citizens of Belarus reportedly participating.
