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In Belarus there have been protests against President Lukashenko for months: opposition leader Tichanovskaya has met with Chancellor Merkel. In the daily topics Tichanovskaya demanded sanctions against Lukashenko.
Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tichanowskaja has called on Germany and the EU to impose sanctions on Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
In the daily topics Tichanovskaya welcomed the EU sanctions that had already been adopted against 40 supporters of the president, but stressed that “the list of those named will have to be longer in the future.” She is “convinced that Mr. Lukashenko should also be mentioned in this list.”
Tichanowskaja had previously met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin. Merkel herself did not comment after the 45-minute conversation at the Federal Chancellery. According to the participants, the Chancellor did not say anything about the results of the conversation at the meeting of the Union parliamentary group. Following the meeting with Merkel, Tichanovskaya met with representatives of the Greens and the Union.
Round table without international participation
Tichanovskaya highlighted in the daily topics‘The main task is to start a dialogue. The “negotiations within Belarus” should take place at the round table she requested. Representatives of the Coordination Council and representatives of the Lukashenko government must participate, without the participation of Russia or other countries.
Regarding Russia’s role, Tichanovskaya said Moscow was needed “as a mediator to initiate dialogue.” However, so far, the opposition-founded coordination council “has no direct contact with representatives of the Russian Federation,” the opposition politician said. In the run-up to the meeting with Merkel, Tichanowskaya also mentioned the Federal Chancellor as a mediator in the conflict with Lukashenko.
The goal: new elections
In the daily topics Tichanovskaya said: “During the dialogue we will discuss all the important issues that have arisen now in the country.” At the end of the process, there should be new “absolutely transparent and honest” elections, which should be observed by representatives of Belarus, as well as other European countries and Russia.
After speaking with Chancellor Merkel, Tichanovskaya announced through the Telegram news channel that the people of her country expected the support of independent media and civil organizations to overcome the consequences of the political crisis in Belarus.
As a gift, Tichanovskaya presented Merkel with an umbrella in the colors of the old white-red-white Belarusian flag, which Lukashenko opponents are currently using as a symbol during the mass protests.
Protests against Lukashenko go on for weeks in the Belarusian capital Minsk and in other cities. Tichanovskaya ran in the August 9 presidential election against the authoritarian president, who had ruled since 1994. According to official information, Lukashenko won with 80 percent of the vote, Tichanovskaya only got about 10 percent. The opposition accuses Lukashenko of massive electoral fraud. The EU also sees evidence of this and does not recognize the outcome of the elections. Tichanowskaja is now coordinating opposition work from exile in Vilnius, Lithuania.
The German ambassador leaves
Meanwhile, the German ambassador in Minsk, Manfred Huterer, left for talks in Berlin, as the Foreign Ministry said. According to information from the dpa news agency, the federal government wants to show its solidarity with Poland and Lithuania, which had already withdrawn their ambassadors from the Belarusian capital, Minsk. The leadership in Minsk urged them to significantly reduce their diplomatic staff in Belarus.
EU members Poland and Lithuania are neighbors of Belarus and, in addition to Tichanowskaya, they have also accepted other members of the opposition from there. Lukashenko repeatedly accused Poland and Lithuania of fueling the protests.
