If Fails However, to Demonstrate More Issue-Based Unity
On February 5, fourteen opposition parties gathered at the New Rights office to establish a joint coordination council, tasked with directing a coordinated effort against violence in the country. “Elections without Violence” – this is a slogan which will unite the opposition forces.
“We, the political organizations of Georgia, believe that it is necessary to create a mechanism, which would guarantee conduction of the elections in the democratic way. Such mechanism will supercede the partisan politics to create Citizens’ Initiative for Free Elections,” says the declaration signed by the opposition parties.
The decision to create a joint coordination council was made after nearly 20 armed persons raided the New Rights Party office on February 3. The opposition claims the government is responsible.
Levan Gachechiladze, one of the New Rights leaders says the pro-governmental Citizens’ Union of Georgia party, “a party with the lowest ratings can do nothing but to purposely destabilize the situation to win the elections. We will not let this happen.”
The opposition alliance counts on support of the US based National-Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI), which supported the February 5 meeting. Lincoln Mitchell, director of the NDI’s Tbilisi office, told Civil Georgia that the institute will do its best to support every initiative of the opposition parties, which could strengthen democracy in Georgia.
So far however, more of the opposition rhetoric had to deal with potential threats than with specific proposals.
Mikheil Saakashvili, chairman of the Tbilisi City Council and leader of the National Movement said that there are 3-4 armed groups in the capital city, which are being prepared to stall the upcoming elections. Saakashvili said that one of these groups, which have 500-600 well armed men, is under control of the former interior minister Kakha Targamadze.
“The main purpose of our assembly is to ensure that the next elections are democratic. We will do anything to prevent falsification of the elections,” says Vasil Maglaperidze of the United Democrats.
To oppose the violent scenarios, the parties do propose some changes in election legislation, but their proposals so far lack clarity.
Political analyst for the Radio Liberty Ia Antadze, believes that the opposition alliance responds to the popular demand for the united opposition, but doubts the alliance would survive till fall, when the elections are scheduled.
Antadze told Civil Georgia, “[the opposition parties] could not come up even with one specific proposal. Some of them say that they want to ‘demolish’ this government, but they cannot say in what kind of country they’d want to live.”
It is clear that the opposition has very limited time to dominate the pre-election race. So far, however, it proves difficult for the party leaders to reconcile their personal and ideological differences to propose articulate agendas.
By Tea Gularidze, Civil Georgia
