{"id":185402,"date":"2026-04-28T18:13:49","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T15:13:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/185402\/"},"modified":"2026-04-28T18:13:51","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T15:13:51","slug":"secretary-general-of-coe-congress-of-local-authorities-welcomes-elections-for-opposition-coordination-council","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/185402\/","title":{"rendered":"Secretary general of CoE congress of local authorities welcomes elections for opposition Coordination Council"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

April 28, Pozirk.<\/em> <\/strong>The elections for the Coordination Council are a clear signal to Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka\u2019s regime and the international community of the Belarusian people\u2019s steadfast commitment to democratic values, Mathieu Mori, secretary general at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, was quoted as saying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The statement comes days after Belarus’ Committee for State Security (KGB) branded six of the nine groups running for the Council as \u201cextremist organizations.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of any democratic system and a direct way for citizens to be heard, Mori said, describing elections as \u201cdecisive for the legitimacy of democratic institutions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWithout transparency, fairness and genuine choice at the ballot box, neither the rule of law nor human rights can fully flourish,\u201d Mori said. \u201cThese elections for the Coordination Council are more than an act of resistance to authoritarianism. They represent the deliberate construction of a future democratic Belarus.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mori said that by organizing the elections and through open discussions and cooperation Belarus\u2019 pro-democracy forces are laying the \u201cinstitutional groundwork\u201d for a robust democratic transition. \u201cFor voters, each ballot cast is a building block in the foundation of a free, sovereign and European Belarus,\u201d he says, stressing that the Congress \u201cstands with\u201d Belarusians and supports their efforts to secure a \u201cdemocratic future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities is a pan-European political assembly within the Council of Europe that represents over 130,000 local and regional authorities across 46 CoE member states. Its stated mission is to strengthen local democracy by monitoring the application of the European Charter of Local Self-Government and observing local and regional elections to ensure they meet European standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Coordination Council is a non-governmental body established by presidential candidate Sviat\u0142ana Cichano\u016dskaja 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\u2019s members were arrested or forced into exile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022 and 2023, the Coordination Council was re-established abroad as a body consisting of representatives of various pro-democracy groups in exile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In May 2024, the Council held its first direct, online elections, with more than 6,700 citizens of Belarus reportedly taking part in them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With 28 of the 80 seats, \u0141atu\u0161ka and the Movement for Freedom is currently the Council\u2019s largest political group. Pavie\u0142 \u0141atu\u0161ka is deputy head of the United Transitional Cabinet led by Sviat\u0142ana Cichano\u016dskaja.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new elections for the Coordination Council are due to take place between May 11 and May 17, 2026. As many as 174 candidates representing nine political groups are running in the race. Belarus\u2019 Committee for State Security (KGB) has recently designated six of the nine groups as \u201cextremist organizations.\u201d The other three were labelled as \u201cextremist\u201d as far back as May 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following the crackdown on the 2020 postelection protests, authorities in Belarus have equated criticism, solidarity, advocacy, the free media and free expression with extremism and terrorism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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