Rumours that the Belarusian opposition is splitting up have been circulating with alarming regularity among users of social networks and messengers. However, the democratic forces have proved that they are united and are not going to quarrel. Pavel Latushko, Veranika Tsapkala, Olga Karach, Vadim Prokopiev and Igor Makar, as well as Vitaly Dziadzuk, an authorised representative of the Belaruskali strike committee, met in a celebratory stream on the YouTube channel “Nash Dom TV”.

At the beginning of the stream, Olga Karach talked about the motivation for this format of communication between leaders:

– Since the state propaganda demonstrates our non-public negotiations and regularly declares that the opposition has quarreled, we decided that some of our discussions will be public. We agree on certain basic principles, but the nuances may vary. If we have different points of view, this does not mean that we had a fight. Belarus has never gone this far in the struggle for democracy, and so no one knows the right thing to do. We need unification for common victory. We are all self-sufficient, self-realized people, and we know that in the new Belarus there will be many places and opportunities to make efforts.

Representative of the joint headquarters Veranika Tsapkala and presidential candidate Valery Tsapkala for International Women’s Day released a film about women prisoners of the regime “I am a political prisoner.” On the air of “Nash Dom TV”, Veranika Tsapkala said that the purpose of the film was to draw the attention of the world community to the atrocities of the Lukashenko regime, and conveyed to the viewers the congratulations and wishes from her family:

– Belarusian girls and women showed the whole world what we are capable of, how peaceful a protest can be, how inventive and creative we are. We have done so much to change our country. We must not stop. We have one goal – to overthrow the regime. We all want to return to Belarus, we want to live here and raise children. And we really want this black chapter in the history of Belarus to never be forgotten.

Pavel Latushko remarked that it’s okay to talk about non-politics on this day, but that’s definitely wrong:

– The illegitimate government, which we do not recognize, does not give us the opportunity to forget about it even on holiday. Men of Belarus should be proud that we have such women. I am glad that in my life there was a stage of acquaintance with Veranika Tsapkala, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and Maria Kalesnikava. I remember a case where a girl covered a guy who wanted to be beaten up by a riot policeman with her body. I remember a girl who went to the prisoner transport for her boyfriend. We have amazingly brave women. We are one and we have the confidence that we will prevail.

Vadim Prokopiev thanked Olga Karach for the fact that she managed to gather such a team in one broadcast and added that after the victory of democracy in Belarus, it will be possible to make your own calendar of holidays:

– Despite my disdain for the Soviet date of 8 March, I have great respect for our ladies. I am delighted, inspired, I adore our women. Without the women’s marches on Saturday, we would have lost a lot. Without a wonderful trio, this whole wonderful story would not have happened. But we also have women – a national shame, who deserve a place in hell. And there are real women heroes.

Igor Makar expressed the opinion that it was the Belarusians who showed how to fight the dictatorial regime:

– I am very glad that we have gathered together on such a significant day. I kneel before all who put in even a little effort for the common cause. Our women are the best, the most beautiful and the kindest. We, men (and all together), would like to give you the best and most anticipated gift – our common victory. And I am convinced that we will give it. We love you very much. When we are united – we are invincible”.

Olga Karach recalled that many years ago the movement for independent Belarus began with a tent camp of miners on October Square. And today the people are returning to the same. Strikes at the country’s enterprises continue to this day, and the miners are fighting especially stubbornly. Another guest of the stream was the authorized representative of the Belaruskali strike committee Vitaly Dziadzuk, who on the air congratulated the Belarusians on behalf of the strike committee and on behalf of all miners and factory workers of the country:

– Separately, we want to congratulate those women who are now illegally deprived of their freedom, who threw away their fear and spoke out against the lawlessness. You turned out to be bolder than some men in difficult times. Hold on, don’t lose your courage! We work every day, 24 hours a day to bring our victory and your freedom closer.

International Women’s Day is a celebration of women’s fight for their rights, Olga Karach noted at the end of the stream:

– In Belarus, there is a difference in salaries for men and women (about 30 percent), there are social problems associated with low pensions for women, maternity leave and going to work after it. But a hundred years ago the situation was even worse: women could not study at the university, did not have the right to vote and get a job, could not decide something without male relatives and dispose of their property. We do not know at what cost women have achieved what we have from birth. However, now the situation has returned a century ago: Belarusian women are fighting for the right to choose and be elected. It is very symbolic that Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya won the election, that men and women go hand in hand and work in tandem. We are heading to build a new Belarus and fight until victory.

The festive broadcast, as Olga Karach said, is the first in a series of joint streams with the participation of protest leaders. In the future, Belarusians will be able to watch online discussions of politicians, prepare their own questions and ask them. All this is for people to understand that leaders are working as a united front for the good of the new country.

The full video is on the following link.

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