Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, National Leader of Belarus and Head of the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus, delivered the opening keynote at the FURIC2024 conference ‘From Ballots to Security.’ In her address, she underscored the critical link between democratic elections and national as well as international security. Drawing on Belarus’s experience, she highlighted the dire consequences of election falsifications and the indispensable role of election observers as frontline defenders of democracy and security.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We know very well that elections are a cornerstone of democracy. Every person has a right to participate in governing their country, and they do it through participating in free and democratic elections.

But elections are also a cornerstone of security – national and international. I say this from our experience in Belarus. But I know that this applies to other places as well.

In Belarus, the falsification of elections in 2020 led to a national human rights disaster. We have over 1,300 political prisoners, and your colleagues, the fellow election observers, are among them. We continue to demand their unconditional release, and I know that you join me in this appeal.

But the falsification of 2020 elections is a problem beyond Belarus. It made the regime of Lukashenka a threat to regional and global security – the landing of the RyanAir flight, the orchestration of the migration crisis on the border of the European Union. And the ultimate support of the regime to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. These are the direct consequences of the falsified elections.

We see now with Moldova, Georgia, Romania how external interference in the elections comes from the desire of geopolitical dominance and has geopolitical dominance as its ultimate objective. Elections are part of the national and international security.

And citizen observers are the frontline defenders of security. Citizen observers know what the hybrid threats are and protect their countries. Citizen election observers need all the support to uphold the democracy and to build it.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Election falsifications are not a new phenomenon. In Belarus there has not been a free election since 1994. A second generation of our citizens is growing up without a chance to participate. We are continuing our struggle to bring democracy to Belarus, and we work hand in hand with civil society.

In other places democracy faces big challenges as well, and dictators learn from one another. We used to be in the period when dictators used propaganda to brainwash their people, they used pressure and intimidation to have their results in the elections. But many of them are back to the old tactics of simply not counting the votes.

The dictators learn from each other.

And so should we.

I hope that this conference is an opportunity for citizen and international observers to build stronger and better bridges. This community is focused on human rights. It is focused on having the democracy survive and withstand the pressures of hybrid threats. In your discussions I encourage you to remember that elections are a matter of security. There is no safety in this world without democratic elections.

I wish you productive discussions and I want to once again underscore the value of the work you are doing.

Thank you!