If you want to know about the state of the Georgian opposition, you might want to read an excerpt of the following interview with Suzar Subari, former civil right`s defender (ombudsman). (Published in Resonanzi, an influential Tbilisi based news-paper on 31 March 2010, quoted from Civil Georgia) A nice example for what concerns the minds of Georgian oppositional leaders:
"Subari writes that he will say no to his City Council chairmanship ambition in favor of other opposition figure if others would support Alasania’s nomination. “The current picture of the opposition forces makes prospects for victory very difficult: one part of influential opposition groups is not at all running in the elections; those running in the elections are divided into several camps. Add to it those parties, which are running in the elections upon the authorities’ orders with the aim to split an overall opposition vote and administrative resources and means for rigging the elections available for the authorities and it will become clear that [the ruling] National Movement party has a huge advantage,” Subari writes. “That is a bitter truth, which we have to face,” he says. While repeating for several times in the article that Alasania is the only figure within the opposition capable to challenge the ruling party’s mayoral candidate, Subari also says that taking into consideration interests of other political parties is required for success. “I am sure, that everyone for whom change of the government and saving of the country is important should support Irakli Alasania… That is a compromise, which is needed for the country’s interests,” he writes. “But at the same time, I fully understand that each political group has its own interests and I believe that in order to achieve a real agreement these interests should be taken into consideration.” “With the elections 60 days away only statements are no longer enough; concrete steps are required. For that reason I refuse to be a candidate for City Council chairmanship..."
and so on and on and on...Well, what are his objections to the ruling party's politics? What are the goals of the oppositional leaders? How do the parties' programmes differ?
No, it's not about programmes. It's about people and posts.This obstacle to Georgian democracy corresponds nicely to the level of corruption in Georgia. A friend of mine, who worked in the infrastructure sector, told me there's almost no corruption "in public", that is for good marks in school, issue of passports and so on (as was normal in Shevardnadze's times). But corruption is still found on higher levels. The confrontation between Alasani, Zurabishvili, Subari, Gachechiladze and Burjanadze circles around influence, power and wealth of members of the same (political) class.
Remember the ancient Greeks: In most cities (poleis) they had a political system that ensured the power of a limited group of families, whether they called themselves aristocrats or not. But single members could be ostracized. In the end they all fell prey to a larger imperium - and with them the whole of Greece.
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