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The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe has extended the mandate of the Belarusian democratic forces delegation for the next two years, the press service of the Coordination Council reported.
Deputy head of the United Transitional Cabinet and Coordination Council delegate Pavel Latushka said that participation in the Congress gives Belarusian democratic forces unique experience in local self-government and democracy that can be applied in the future in Belarus.
“Today’s discussion is a contribution to the future, it is new experience for Belarusians that they will later be able to implement in a democratic Belarus,” he said during the working meeting “The 12 Principles of Good Democratic Governance of the Council of Europe: Introduction, Tools, and Best Practices,” organized by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe at the request of the Belarusian democratic forces delegation.
“For us, the Congress is a unique place to gain experience in local democracy. The future of Belarus lies precisely in expanding the powers of local authorities and decentralizing power. This stands in contrast to what Lukashenka created, when there was complete centralization and personalization of power and all decisions, even at the lowest level, are made only with his approval. We understand the importance of this reform and are working on it. The Coordination Council has also considered a draft law on local authorities in Belarus. This is one of our priority areas for all democratic forces fighting for change,” he added.
In his speech, the politician noted that work is continuing on the United Transitional Cabinet project “Personnel Reserve for a New Belarus,” under which, with the support of European countries, opportunities are being created to train new potential professionals. He also said that the project “New Personnel for a New Belarus” is being implemented in Poland, where about 100 future potential Belarusian diplomats have already been trained.
“The elections that were held to the Coordination Council are an example of direct democracy using electronic technologies. The democratic movement abroad managed to organize this in an unprecedented way. This is transparency, technology, and e-democracy. We are proud that we succeeded. We plan to hold the next elections, in which Belarusians will be able to vote, and not just be present,” he said.
Latushka thanked the Congress for the formal decision of December 15 to extend the mandate of the Belarusian democratic forces delegation.
“This is very important for us and motivates us to continue our work. I would like to thank you for the ‘green light’ for representatives of the Coordination Council to participate in observing local elections in Council of Europe member states. This will be a unique experience for us, which we will be able to adopt for future democratic elections in Belarus. The 12 Principles of Good Democratic Governance of the Council of Europe are certainly the foundation of our work. These principles are our future, and we will work toward them in a focused and consistent manner,” he noted.
As a reminder, in February 2025 the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe invited the Coordination Council to form a delegation to participate in its sessions.