Tikhanovskaya starts forming shadow govt of Belarus
MINSK. Sept 30 (Interfax) - Former Belarusian presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya has started forming a shadow government, according to a statement posted on her Telegram channel on Wednesday.
"Tikhanovskaya has appointed Garri Pogonyailo, a prominent Belarusian lawyer and human rights activist, human rights commissioner. Economist Ales Alekhnovich has been appointed envoy on economic reforms," the statement said.
Pogonyailo has worked as a lawyer on many human rights cases in Belarus, including the cases of Belarusian journalists Pavel Sheremet and Dmitry Zavadsky. He was deputy chairman of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee for more than 20 years. Alekhnovich is vice-president of the CASE-Belarus analytical center, which studies economics and develops economic reforms for Belarus.
"Alexander Lukashenko's regime is not only illegitimate, it is no longer achieving its tasks. We cannot do nothing and watch the country go deeper into a crisis. Therefore, to ensure a new election, I continue my work to unite all democratic forces of Belarusian society," Tikhanovskaya said.
Her press secretary Anna Krasulina told Interfax Tikhanovskaya is forming her team. "That answers the question - is Svetlana Tikhanovskaya alone? Or does she have a team? And if she has a team, who is it?" she said.
"We are working with the Coordination Council. In a coordinated manner. To achieve one goal," Krasulina said, responding to a question as to whether members of the Belarusian opposition's Coordination Council will be included in the team Tikhanovskaya is forming.
"The Coordination Council is a body created by Svetlana to hold talks with the departing regime on the conditions and procedure of this departure, procedure of power transfer," she said.