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Olga KovalkovaBelarusian politician, lawyer, accountant
Date of Birth: 26.01.1984
Country:  Belarus |
Content:
- Personal Life and Education
- Early Career
- Political Career
- 2020 Presidential Elections
- Post-Election Activities
- International Involvement
- Political Beliefs
Personal Life and Education
Olga Kovalkova was born on January 26, 1984, in Minsk, Belarus. She holds a law degree from the Belarusian State Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (2006), an accounting degree from the Republican Institute for Advanced Training and Retraining of Professionals (2005), and a political scientist degree from the East European School of Political Studies.
Early Career
From 2004 to 2008, Kovalkova worked in district administrations in Minsk. Subsequently, she held various positions in housing and construction cooperatives, including lawyer, chairman, and chief accountant. From 2011 to 2014, she served as a lecturer at an institute for advanced training.
Political Career
2019 Parliamentary ElectionsIn 2019, Kovalkova ran as a candidate for Parliament in Minsk's Pushkinsky constituency No. 103.
2020 Presidential Elections
On February 12, 2020, Kovalkova announced her intention to run for President of Belarus. She participated in the opposition's primary, which concluded on April 30. She finished third in the primary with 1073 votes.
Her candidacy was rejected by the Central Election Commission on June 30. She subsequently became a trusted person for candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya.
Post-Election Activities
After the disputed elections, Kovalkova joined the presidium of the Coordination Council, which aimed to facilitate a transfer of power in accordance with the constitution. She was detained at Minsk airport on August 21, 2020, while attempting to fly to Poland. She was sentenced to 10 days in detention but was secretly deported to Poland on September 5.
International Involvement
Kovalkova has participated in international meetings, including a session of the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee on September 21, 2020.
Political Beliefs
In her political platform, Kovalkova advocates for presidential terms limited to five years and two terms. She believes that politicians should engage with the public through social media and websites, and that substantial change in Belarus requires more than slogans.
