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POLITICAL SITUATION IN GEORGIA ON THE THRESHOLD OF THE PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS
DAVID BERDZENISHVILI,
Сo-chairman of the parliamentary faction “Democratic Front” of the Republican Party, one of the United Opposition leaders, Tbilisi
Speaker of the Georgian Parliament Nino Burjanadze’s refusal to participate in the parliamentary election, where she could head the ruling party “United National Movement”, was predictable. Early in 2004 the Republican Party proposed that Burjanadze stay with those people who had made the revolution rather than with those who misappropriated its fruits. Back then she decided to remain in power and not to joint those who made the revolution and, later on, went across to the opposition – those are the Republican Party, the Conservative Party and some other policy-makers.
On the eve of the recent parliamentary polls the number of the people, who were associated with Burjanadze, was reduced in the ruling party’s list. She was unhappy with the status quo, but agreed to become Speaker of the Parliament again and stay in power. As a result, she had no real power. She did not control the Parliament. Everything was controlled by President Mikheil Saakashvili through the so-called “Institute of Freedom”.
We proposed that Burjanadze behave decently in the course of the 2007 events. Unfortunately, she did it her way defending Saakashvili with might and main. The Parliamentary Speaker behaved badly during the 2008 presidential election. There was much electoral fraud, but she took Saakashvili’s side again.
Probably, Burjanadze thought that the President had grown weaker and she would be able to put her team on the list. But the point is that Saakashvili is unfair to his partners. At the last moment she was prohibited from doing that. Burjanadze was left alone. She could become the Speaker in the new Parliament, but without her team.
For example, I am going to run for the Parliament in one of the majoritarian constituencies in the city of Batumi. My competitor is a businessman belonging to the ruling party. The “National Movement” has limited human resources and the candidates are recruited from the business close to the government.
My competitor was nominated by Burjanadze. But since she decided not to stand for Parliament, different candidates have been nominated. There are six districts in Adjara and in three of them the different ruling party candidates have already been nominated. This is very funny when the same political leaders nominate candidates and in a week they replace them.
Moreover, early in the morning our representative and other opposition representatives learned that the “United National Movement” lists were locked in the Central Election Committee. At night, in the locked room the ruling party changed its list. It is clear that in the wake of Burjanadze’s withdrawal, the “United National Movement” replaced many of the candidates associated with Burjanadze by the other people.
Nino Burjanadze may think that if the elections are rigged greatly she can prolong her authorities as Speaker. The current Parliament works till the Central Election Committee adopts the final protocol. This is the way the ruling party and the power as a whole are being undermined. After Burjanadze’s statement, Saakashvili decided to change the subject. The President’s statement on the reconnaissance aircraft, which had flown over Georgia and was brought down, was covered on all the channels. Saakashvili was likely to tell the truth. But that happened a couple of days ago, and the issue was raised following the Speaker’s statement. An old scheme is used – they look for a foreign enemy (Russia). True, Russia itself contributes to that.
But those issues are of little importance to the Georgian population. We know that Russia is a problem neighbor. But this is an external factor. I have always said that in Georgia Russia has no political force to rely on, - the parliamentary elections will be held without Russia’s interference.
April 25, 2008
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Other materials on this topic
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13.03.2008
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CIVIL GEORGIA: CONTROVERSIAL CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT PASSED
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The number of majoritarian MPs elected in single-mandate constituencies in the new parliament will increase from 50 to 75, according to the amendment, and those elected through the proportional party-list system will go down from 100 to 75.
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18.01.2008
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IWPR: GEORGIAN OPPOSITION KEEPS UP PRESSURE
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The municipal authorities in Tbilisi have refused a request by the opposition to hold a rally on Rustaveli Avenue on the day of the inauguration. Instead, the opposition alliance says it will hold a protest at the city hippodrome.
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Expert forum
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GEORGIA AFTER THE PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS
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ARCHIL GEGESHIDZE
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29.05.2008
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There are several reasons behind the victory of the “United National Movement” in Georgia's parliamentary elections, which took place on May 21. One of them is that the ruling party has drawn the right conclusions from the January presidential election.
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SITUATION IN ABKHAZIA
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SERGEI BAGAPSH
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22.05.2008
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What will Abkhazia do, if Georgia joins NATO? Abkhazia will do nothing. Let Georgia join NATO even tomorrow. We do not care about that.
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“RUSSIAN-GEORGIAN RELATIONS CAN BECOME MUCH BETTER”
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EROSI KITSMARISHVILI
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21.05.2008
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Currently, there are several negative points in the Russian-Georgian relations. The first one is Georgia’s bid for the NATO membership, the second one is Tbilisi’s conflict with the breakaway territories – Abkhazia and South Ossetia. There are also the problems of the bilateral relations.
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GEORGIA IS PREPARING FOR PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS
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DAVID LOSABERIDZE
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12.05.2008
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The Georgia's ruling party has one serious problem – its approval rating is falling. This is due to the lack of clear strategy rather than to the unpopular reforms.
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THE RUSSIAN-GEORGIAN RELATIONS
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ZAAL ANJAPARIDZE
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25.04.2008
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Almost all significant political forces in Georgia, including the ruling party, say that there are sufficient reasons for making the compromises with Russia that would not infringe upon Georgia’s national interests.
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PRESIDENT OF GEORGIA OFFERS ABKHAZIA BROAD FEDERALISM
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ALEXANDER KRYLOV, ALEKSEY MALASHENKO, ANATOLY OTYRBA, SERGEI MARKEDONOV, SHALVA PICHKHADZE, ZURAB ABASHIDZE, IVLIAN KHAINDRAVA
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14.04.2008
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"For the first time the President of Georgia has put forward such far-reaching proposals," Alexander Krylov.
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WILL THE POST-SOVIET BREAKAWAY REGIONS BE RECOGNIZED?
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DMITRY MEDOEV, GURAM GUMBA, SERGEI ARUTYUNOV, SERGEI MARKEDONOV
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19.03.2008
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"If to look at a map, one can realize that in the event of the conflict in Abkhazia the Georgian party is doomed to defeat, as has happened before. This is why Abkhazia has a very good chance of becoming independent," Sergei Arutyunov.
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THE RUSSIAN-GEORGIAN RELATIONS AND THE SITUATION WITH SOUTH OSSETIA AND ABKHAZIA
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KONSTANTIN GABASHVILI
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06.03.2008
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Georgia’s wishing to change the format of the Mixed Verification Committee on Settlement of the Georgian-Ossetic conflict and the consideration by the State Duma of the Russian Federation of the situation with South Ossetia and Abkhazia during the March 13 parliament hearings are different things.
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POLITICAL SITUATION IN GEORGIA AFTER THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
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MALKHAZ SALDADZE
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30.01.2008
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In spite of Mikheil Saakashvili’s initiative to offer the opposition politicians posts in the government, nothing was done in this direction. Apparently, neither the authorities nor the opposition were ready for such a turn.
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WILL THE VECTOR OF RUSSIAN-GEORGIAN RELATIONS CHANGE?
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SERGEI MARKEDONOV
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24.01.2008
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It is unlikely that after the election President Mikheil Saakashvili has changed his position on Georgian-Russian relations. For the time being, the statements about his wish to normalize those relations cannot be taken seriously.
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GEORGIA'S UNITED OPPOSITION AGAINST MIKHEIL SAAKASHVILI
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LEVAN GACHECHILADZE
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23.11.2007
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When I become President, Georgia will continue to be West- and NATO-oriented. I think it is the only way for a democratic country. I am also going to give great attention to the development of good-neighborly relations with Russia.
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GOVERNMENT RESHUFFLES IN GEORGIA
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SERGEI MARKEDONOV
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20.11.2007
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There is no alternative to the incumbent president Mikheil Saakashvili in the forthcoming presidential polls in Georgia. Like it or not, he stands to win the forthcoming elections. The opposition cannot compete with Saakashvili.
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GEORGIA TO HOLD EARLY PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
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ALEXANDER RONDELI
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15.11.2007
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The Georgian people do not want destabilization of the situation. So, channeling political activity into election campaign would stabilize the situation. In short, the force that swings the presidential polls, will make it into the Parliament.
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OPPOSITION RALLIES IN GEORGIA
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MERAB PACHULIA
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15.11.2007
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The collective distaste for Saakashvili has brought a wide segment of the society together and people have closed ranks for common objectives – free elections, rule of law, a system where the power of one person can be held in check.
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GEORGIAN UNITED OPPOSITION VERSUS SAAKASHVILI
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GHIA NODIA
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07.11.2007
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Now the Georgian opposition needs a leader who can be an alternative to the current President. I doubt that the opposition’s sponsor Badri Patarkatsishvili can become such an alternative leader. Okruashvili is a more attractive political figure.
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Author’s opinion on other topics
REASONS FOR MINISTERIAL RESHUFFLES IN GEORGIA
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09 December 2008
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Grigol Mgaloblishvili, the new Georgian Prime Minister, was appointed about a month and a half ago. Then there were made ministerial reshuffles without significant changes. So, it is incomprehensible why President Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia decided to reshuffle the government again on 5 December.
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CONSEQUENCES OF THE GEORGIAN-RUSSIAN CONFRONTATION
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29 August 2008
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Russia’s decision to recognize the independence of Georgia's breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia has been made not only by the Russian President and the Russian political establishment, but also, regrettably, by the majority of the Russian citizens. Few people in Russia criticized their authorities.
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RESULTS OF PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN GEORGIA
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23 May 2008
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There was a lot of electoral fraud in the parliamentary elections that took place in Georgia on May 21. Such elections do not favor the rapprochement between Georgia and NATO. At the NATO summit in Bucharest it was decided that all the Alliance members would observe the parliamentary elections in Georgia carefully.
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VISIT OF MIKHEIL SAAKASHVILI TO THE USA
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20 March 2008
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The main purpose of the Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili's visit to the USA is to enlist the support for Georgia’s joining NATO Action Plan that will be on the agenda of the April NATO summit in Bucharest.
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THE PRESIDENTIAL POLLS TOOK PLACE IN GEORGIA
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10 January 2008
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The Georgian opposition believes that Mikheil Saakashvili is not a legitimate President. Those polls were rigged everywhere. In the large regional centers Saakashvili took less than 50 percent of the vote.
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THE RUSSIAN-GEORGIAN RELATIONSHIPS
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09 February 2006
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As a representative of the opposition, I deeply hope that our authorities’ intention to withdraw Russian troops from South Ossetia will not be a subject for bargain.
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