Opposition Wants Live TV Airtime

Levan Gachechiladze speaks to supporters over loudspeaker outside the GPB on January 9; his political ally Giorgi Khaindrava is seen next to him. Photo: InterPressNews

Levan Gachechiladze, the main opposition presidential candidate, and dozens of his supporters gathered outside the Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB) on January 9 to demand access to live airtime.

Tamar Kintsurashvili, GPB Director-General, told the opposition leaders outside the GBP building that the GPB was only willing to air recorded messages of Gachechiladze.

“We are ready to air his recorded messages in full, without any editing, if they do not, of course, contain unconstitutional appeals,” she said. Her words were immediately met with vocal opposition outrage.

“Give me access to live broadcasts,” Gachechiladze screamed. “You are paid from our taxes… You are a shameless television station.”

The opposition claims that the public is in a vacuum, with what they see as government-controlled national stations – the GPB, Rustavi 2 TV and Mze TV – failing to report alleged ballot-rigging, which, they maintain, has allowed incumbent candidate Mikheil Saakashvili to win the election outright in the first round.

The three stations were airing live political talk shows every day, before the January 5 presidential election; but none since then. The exception was Rustavi 2 TV’s unscheduled Primetime talkshow late last night, which had been going out on Mondays and Thursdays. Mikheil Saakashvili was the only guest.

The GPB said it would resume live political talk shows next week. Later on the same day, the GPB made a separate statement saying that it was inviting Levan Gachechiladze to participate in its talk show on Sunday. Other presidential candidates or their representatives were also invited, GPB said.

The only station currently hosting a talk show is Tbilisi-based Kavkasia TV, with a catchment area limited to the capital. Participants are invariably from the opposition.

The OSCE/ODIHR said in its preliminary conclusions about the election campaign that two national private TV channels – Rustavi 2 and Mze – showed “clear support” for Saakashvili and “provided him with substantial prime-time news coverage.” “Although, the news on public TV was somewhat more balanced in the time allocated to all candidates, the tone of its coverage favoured the former president,” it said.

A similar protest rally outside the public broadcaster was held on January 8 as well, when Gachechiladze announced his and his supporters’ intention to launch a hunger strike with the demand to get access to the live broadcast. At the rally on January 9 Gachechiladze, however, said he himself would not go on hunger strike citing that he needed strength to continue struggle for “stolen votes.” But he said that activists from the nine-party opposition coalition planned to launch hunger strike.