Renewed Coordination Council holds first meeting

January 26, BPN. The renewed Coordination Council held its first meeting on January 26, the organization said on Telegram.

The meeting was attended by “about 70 delegates from civil society organizations and democratic forces,” it said, without specifying the format or location.

“They discussed next steps in the Coordination Council’s reform, inclusion of independent candidates, and draft rules of procedure,” it added. “The main innovations in the rules of procedure will be electing a speaker and creating factions, as well as finding formats of cooperation with other members of democratic forces. The rules will be finalized soon, and a vote to incorporate 15 independent candidates will be held.”

In her welcoming speech to the renewed council, opposition leader Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja expressed hope that it would become “a real representative body of civil society,” her press office reported.

“Change in Belarus is a joint effort. And we do not give up on our goals: we continue to insist on negotiations and a peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy. I think that the main task is to outline strategic priorities and stick to them,” the former presidential candidate said.

She hopes that the Coordination Council will provide her cabinet and the democratic forces with expertise to draft reforms.

Once arrangements are in place, the first meeting between members of the council and the cabinet will be scheduled, Cichanoŭskaja said: “At this meeting, we would like to report on the work done in six months and agree on choosing cooperation areas together.”

The council is a successor to the Coordinating Council for Political Crisis Settlement established in August 2020. The Belarusian government has designated it an extremist group and opened criminal cases against its leaders.

Plans to reform the organization were announced in October. Its presidium member Volha Kavalkova said it would be expanded to 115 members (25 from the original council, 75 civil society delegates and 15 independents).