{"id":66690,"date":"2024-02-13T10:44:25","date_gmt":"2024-02-13T07:44:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/api.pozirk.online\/?post_type=longreads&p=66690"},"modified":"2024-02-13T10:44:27","modified_gmt":"2024-02-13T07:44:27","slug":"opposition-dragging-feet-on-alternative-election","status":"publish","type":"longreads","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/66690\/","title":{"rendered":"Opposition dragging feet on alternative election"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Opponents\u2019 idea of positioning a Coordination Council (CC) election as an alternative to local and parliamentary elections has completely failed. The Belarusian government will hold the polls on February 20-25, while the CC election will be held in late May. Toxic infighting has come to define the opposition proto-parliament.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n \"\"\n
\n \n
\n (freepik.com)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Last week, the CC extended its mandate, after it expired on February 8. Several delegates, including Deputy Speaker Alena \u017dyvah\u0142od, resigned. Chairman Andrej Jahora\u016d said the speaker would be re-elected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Backbiting<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Originally established in Minsk during the 2020 protests to negotiate with the government, the council was quickly crushed by police. Some of its members were imprisoned, others forced into exile. Only 15 original members joined it after its re-establishment abroad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A year ago, Pavie\u0142 \u0141atu\u0161ka, deputy head of the opposition cabinet, resigned from the CC, criticizing some of its members for advocating a dialogue with the government in Minsk and sanctions relief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0141atu\u0161ka argued that conflicting messages coming out of the opposition camp would confuse Western partners. He might also have feared that the CC would seek control of the cabinet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beset by backbiting and warring camps, the CC has failed to become a major political player.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alaksandar Kabana\u016d, a former political prisoner, left the CC out of frustration with the internal strife.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In December, nine members called for dissolution, accusing others of collaborating with the regime and corrupt practices. However, they did not provide any hard evidence. Eight of them resigned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In August, the CC voted to dismiss Alaksandar Azara\u016d as the cabinet\u2019s interior minister after a split in the ByPol association of former law enforcement officers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His seat is still vacant, and the opposition is struggling to find a candidate for the position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The CC has failed to come up with a strong message during its term. It debated ways to secure the release of political prisoners, but produced a vague and confusing resolution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Too late for alternative election<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The CC is dragging feet on designing a voting system. The draft it published on December 8 was widely criticized as too complex, unclear and non-transparent. It provides for a proportional system with closed lists, a 15 percent quota for NGOs and a gender quota.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each voter is expected to have three votes and “can cast each vote for a specific list of an electoral entity, or for several different lists or for a candidate on a list of self-nominated candidates. It is possible to cast all three votes or to vote once or twice and not to vote again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An average Belarusian can hardly understand this complicated system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The CC is not detached from reality so much as to expect many people in Belarus to vote in the election, even on an Internet platform, given the relentless political terror in the country. The secret services have repeatedly demonstrated their ability to hack online platforms and identify users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is much safer for expatriates to vote, but they have also criticized the proposed electoral system, so it should be improved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In late December, the CC reported establishing an organizing committee for the election. Later, Jahora\u016d admitted that the proposed system was “not ideal” and suggested a direct proportional system without quotas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n \"\"\n
\n
\n\n Andrej Jahora\u016d\n <\/div>\n \n
\n (Pozirk)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Jahora\u016d is in talks with \u015aviat\u0142ana Cichano\u0142skaja and political parties to finalize election procedures. He did not rule out that the election can be postponed until July.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Challenges<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In October, Cichano\u016dskaja said that the CC election “could become an alternative to the elections for the pseudo-parliament held by the regime.\u201d But the opposition forces failed to put the idea into practice because of the atmosphere of fear in Belarus and because many Belarusians see the CC primarily as an emigrant body that does not reflect their interests and exists in a parallel realm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now that the CC and other exiled opposition bodies have failed in carrying out their election plans, their image in the eyes of Belarusians can only worsen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The alternative vote would make sense only if it coincided with the local and parliamentary elections scheduled for February 25. It makes little sense in May because Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka will already have formed the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly by then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Propaganda is likely to seize the opportunity to make fun of “rotten democracy.” Opposition politicians proudly called the CC a proto-parliament. Shortly before New Year\u2019s Day, Jahora\u016d said that “we can set up an institution that will be truly elected by Belarusians and will become the basis for our real center of power and a powerful political alternative.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now \u0141uka\u0161enka’s propagandists will surely be happy to mock at this body as a gathering of useless and incompetent political emigrants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fewer politicians will be willing to participate in the CC election, and its authority will be questioned. So the new CC, if elected, will have to prove its worth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Opponents\u2019 idea of positioning a Coordination Council (CC) election as an alternative to local and parliamentary elections has completely failed. The Belarusian government will hold the polls on February 20-25, while the CC election will be held in late May. Toxic infighting has come to define the opposition proto-parliament. Last week, the CC extended its […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":65906,"template":"","rubric":[24],"class_list":["post-66690","longreads","type-longreads","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","rubric-theviewer"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nOpposition dragging feet on alternative election | Pozirk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Opponents\u2019 idea of positioning a Coordination Council (CC) election as an alternative to local and parliamentary elections has completely failed. 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