[ad_1]
Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya has been included in the Russian Interior Ministry’s wanted database, but wants to invite Vladimir Putin to mediate negotiations with Alexander Lukashenko.
For two months, Belarus has been protesting Alyaksandr Lukashenka, but the actions are already starting to wane. In large part, because the protesters failed to form their own coordinating bodies, no leaders appeared in the protests, but those who slightly claimed this role were jailed or expelled from the country.
Like, for example, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who was expelled from Belarus to Lithuania. She calls herself the leader of the opposition and the national leader of Belarus. At the same time, she is not recognized as president-elect in the West or is not viewed as such.
What is Tikhanovskaya doing now?
Meetings with European leaders
At the end of September, Tihanovskaya in Lithuania met with French President Emmanuel Macron. The main topic of the conversation was the possibility of organizing new presidential elections in Belarus.
“It is very important that European countries do not remain indifferent to what is happening in Belarus. France, as one of the oldest democracies, understands us perfectly. Therefore, I am going to remind Mr. Macron of our main goal: new free and democratic elections, which should take place this year, ”Tikhanovskaya said then.
Macron announced that he did not consider Alexander Lukashenko as the legitimate president of Belarus and suggested that he resign, but the French leader also did not recognize Tikhanovskaya as president. Lukashenko advised Macron to resign himself.
On October 6, Tikhanovskaya met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. During the conversation, Tikhanovskaya emphasized that the protests in Belarus are not a fight against Russia or Europe, but a consequence of the internal crisis in Belarus, noting that the main objective now is to hold new elections. The meeting lasted 45 minutes. According to Tikhanovskaya, she spoke about the ongoing protests and repressions in Belarus, the growing number of political prisoners.
EPA
Tikhanovskaya in Berlin
Tikhanovskaya also noted that the Belarusian people are waiting for investment support from Europe, assistance to independent media and civil organizations.
Before the official meeting, Tikhanovskaya thanked the German authorities for their interest in political events in Belarus. The opposition leader pointed out that Angela Merkel is very involved in what is happening in Belarus and could really help solve the current crisis. Svetlana added that she had asked Merkel to take a leadership role in this process.
VIDEO: Belarus opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya urges protesters to continue their fight against strongman Alexander Lukashenko after she arrived in Berlin for a planned meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel pic.twitter.com/Cbcf6fRxbw
– AFP news agency (@AFP) October 6, 2020
Relations with Russia
Tikhanovskaya called Russian President Vladimir Putin a wise leader. And at the same time, she asked her not to interfere in the internal affairs of Belarus and to refuse to support Lukashenka.
At the same time, Tikhanovskaya believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin should be one of the mediators in the opposition negotiations with the Alexander Lukashenko regime.
“We want to invite him (Putin) to act as a mediator together with the leaders of other states to stimulate dialogue between the current Belarusian authorities and the people. We want to solve this problem, but we want to solve it ourselves,” Tikhanovskaya said.
At the same time, Tikhanovskaya was included in the wanted list in Russia. The thing is that they put it on the wanted list in Belarus, but it will also take place in Russia, since we are talking about an interstate search. In Belarus, Tikhanovskaya is accused of calling for action against national security.
Roman Protasevich, former editor-in-chief of opposition channel Telegram Nexta, was also added to the Russian Interior Ministry’s wanted database.
Under the article on calls to action against national security, Tikhanovskaya’s comrades in arms, members of the opposition coordination council Maxim Znak and Maria Kolesnikova, are also being persecuted in Belarus.
There will be no dialogue
Experts draw attention to the fact that interaction with representatives of the opposition in other countries is an accepted practice in European states. For example, in 2006, Angela Merkel met the single democratic candidate for the presidency of Belarus, Alexander Milinkevich.
Therefore, contact with Tikhanovskaya is a traditional European policy. It is quite obvious that Moscow will not have a dialogue with him, if only because Russia has already de facto and de jure recognized Alexander Lukashenko as president, ”said Russian political analyst Dmitry Bolkunets.
[ad_2]
