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OPPOSITION MARCHES IN GEORGIA
ALEXANDER RONDELI,
President of the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies, Tbilisi
There is no telling what the opposition marches, caused by the arrest of former Minister of Defense Irakli Okruashvili, will end in.
President Mikheil Saakashvili and Irakli Okruashvili severed relations with each other long ago. Irakli Okruashvili is bad-tempered and has boundless political ambitions, which resulted in his dismissal as Minister of Defense. Irakli Okruashvili couldn’t concede to the President.
Most likely, Irakli Okruashvili was afraid of being arrested and decided to pursue a preemptive tactic making accusations against Mikheil Saakashvili. We do not know which of his accusations are true and which are false.
Irakli Okruashvili enlivened the political opposition that lacks influence and, until recently, was “on the back benches” of political life. So, the opposition backed up Irakli Okruashvili’s statements.
At the same time, the opposition parties were satisfied with Okruashvili’s arrest because they came to have a new slogan – fight for Okruashvili’s freedom. The former Minister of Defense gave an impetus to the opposition movement. But I doubt that he is the leader they want.
In Georgia many people are discontent with Mikheil Saakashvili’s regime. Various social groups are susceptible to the reforms that are carried out by the Saakashvili government, and the opposition is trying to take advantage of that.
The opposition includes a lot of intellectuals that are openly labeled vestiges of the past by Mikheil Saakashvili and his environs. Apart from that, the President promises very much, but does not account for his actions. Georgians do not want the authorities to act that way. Therefore, the opposition has chosen right lapses to criticize Mikheil Saakashvili’s regime.
Georgian businessman Badri Patarkatsishvili stands behind the opposition actions. Mikheil Saakashvili has prohibited the opposition financing and many opposition leaders turned to the businessman conducting the purposeful campaign against the President through television and radio channel “IMEDI”. As a matter of fact, Badri Patarkatsishvili went too far deciding to take the country’s political and economic life into his own hands to the displeasure of the President.
On the whole, the opposition marches came as a telling blow against the President whose legitimacy is called into question for the first time. This is an alarm signal.
At the same time Mikheil Saakashvili and his government have done a lot of good. The policy-making process has improved after the Rose Revolution. There might be further steps in fighting corruption in Georgia. It is possible that Saakashvili will dismiss some high-ranking officials.
October 8, 2007
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