10 Steps Towards Liberty

Civil Society Leaders Unveil Program to Promote Democracy

National CSOs supported by the representatives of the intellectual groups developed 10 main principles and guidelines aiming at democratic development of the country.

Passing of the law that would allow for the confiscation of assets that high officials could not prove was acquired legally, reform of the soviet-style state structures and dismissing former Communist Party, Komsomol, and KGB officials; improvement of investment climate; restoration of Georgia’s territorial integrity; election of Mayors of Tbilisi and Poti; withdrawal of Russian military bases till 2007, introduction of jury at courts, repayment of pension and salary backlog before 2006 and increase of expenditures for the education system – these are those ten principles that the CSOs suggest the political parties to be pursued after the November 2 parliamentary elections.

These basic principles were initiated by a group of CSOs in summer, 2003. “We realized that living in this situation is impossible. Certain changes are inevitable and necessary,” Irina Tsintsadze of Civil Center “Alternative” said at the presentation of the CSOs proposal on October 15 at the Cinema House in Tbilisi.

Supported by leading CSOs (Open Society – Georgia Foundation, Liberty Institute, Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association, Civil Center “Alternative”, Young Economists’ Association etc.) ten principles are related to judicial, executive and legislative branches of the government.

The civil society leaders say that these ten principles represent a broad range of issues and each of them should entail the draft laws to be adopted by the legislative body right after the new Parliament is convened.

The CSOs propose the negotiations and dialogue to those interested political parties that will guarantee democratic development of the country. The group of CSOs, which initiated the so called “Ten Steps” deliberately refused to hold dialogue with the presidential-backed election bloc For New Georgia. 

“This government has already had a chance to implement these principles, as the current authorities are in power already for ten years. But they failed. Thus there is no sense to talk over this issue with the government,” Tinatin Khidasheli of Georgia’s Young Lawyers’ Association says.

The CSOs say that they would watch closely the activity of the new Parliament and demand the MPs to pass the laws that would give a go-ahead to implementation of these principles.

“The idea of 10 principles is the dismantling of the Soviet-style regime and the way ahead in the future,” Kakha Lomaia of Open Society Georgia Foundation said at the presentation.

The group of initiators presented the documentary film describing each of the principles in details by the experts.

“We hope these principles will help each member of our society and will diminish the existing gap between the society and the government,” Giga Bokeria of the Liberty Institute said at the meeting.

The civil activists are convinced the political party representatives will express their interest in the CSO-developed concepts. They hope the principles will evoke the negotiation and dialogue between the third sector and political parties and finally will lead to better future.