We have been faced with an election outcome which is unacceptable for the majority of the Georgians having abstained from entering the polling stations -- Soso Tsiskarishvili
- The primary results of the elections have already been released and thus we can expand on different aspects of them. How would you evaluate an unprecedented low voter turnout in the already held elections as well as the emerged necessity of holding a run-off in Tbilisi as well as 7 townships and 12 self-government communities of Georgia?
- Elections of 15 June can be viewed as unprecedented because of a wide range of reasons; first of all, these elections transferred power to 12 townships with no kind of preliminary experience; thus the readiness of local candidates to independently lead this or that town will require a major rethink. The second unprecedented phenomenon is a rather high election threshold introduced by the Georgian dream – as you know a victorious force had to sweep 50% plus 1 vote to win in the elections. A low voter turnout can also be defined as unprecedented.
This phenomenon can be explained in many different ways though. As for me, I am glad that we have stopped reiterating that we are Europeans and finally managed to confine ourselves with those limits which Europeans have established. In fact, more than 40 percent of voters are a bit over the top. Thus, in Georgia’s case, a European standard was fully observed. However, this announcement must not make you think that I approve of the people’s lax attitude towards their future and their reluctance to have a final say in the future of their country via elections.
When you have to take a number of steps to eliminate the ills of your country, you simply don’t have any legal right to be at your ease and do nothing; this fact strongly suggests that our constituency simply lacks political culture. It’s inadmissible to refrain from expressing your position on such a landmark day. In the present state of affairs, when we are forming our country, we cannot indulge in following the European state’s lead and step away from our responsibility to enter the polling stations. Thus, we must pin the blame on ourselves because of our misfortunes – in my mind, the inertness of our people have simply precipitated the occurrence of those results that can definitely not be regarded as auspicious either for us or for our country.
- We have been left with an impression that a large amount of our people has announced a boycott on these elections. Can this make us deduce that the people simply thought that they did not have a choice? Or can this directly point to the fact that the people simply decided to give the cold shoulder to politics and political processes? Has, despite strong appeals from the government, the public simply refused to be involved in the ongoing political processes?
- We cannot talk our fellow-citizens round to participate in the elections trough appeals only. We must adopt aim-oriented measures to push the people to enter the polling stations. For months the allegation saying that the Georgian dream did not, in fact, have a political rival reverberated throughout Georgia; after this, simply tell me, how could Georgians have been anxious to enter the polling stations?
--The Georgian Dream has held an unreasonable PR campaign that was simply excluded to come in handy for them. And the Government PR team must be held responsible for this outrageous blunder. Thus, Georgian Dream PR is definitely not entitled to claim credit for the leading team’s gained victory.
-- Despite the fact that the election atmosphere was healthy this year, a run-off has become a part of ongoing debates. As soon as the exit poll results had been promulgated, the PM congratulated Mr. Narmania on winning in the race. However, we were faced with a radically different election outcome the next day. Thus, based on Gharibashvili’s behavior, we can conclude that a tradition of associating exit poll results to reality has not been eliminated among us so far…
-- This tradition was abrogated on January 8, 2005 when President Bush congratulated Saakashvili on his victory before the election commission had counted the votes. Since then people have been negatively disposed to exit poll results. An extremely witty Russian proverb saying “don’t celebrate victory in advance” (не говори хоп, пока не перепрыгнешь) is simply tailored for such ridiculous and awkward situations.
- In your opinion, what kind of key messages have these elections conveyed to the leading power as well as the parliamentary and non-parliamentary opposition?
- One of the core messages is that the Coalition remains a top power in our country. And regarding this issue, once again I repeat that if not for a 50 percent barrier introduced by the present government, a run-off would not have proven to be mandatory in our townships. The Government’s decision can really be defined as a step in the right direction, a step towards democracy.
The second important message which was delivered to the leading power is that Georgia has stayed on course by firmly following the path of democracy via election technologies.
By all odds, the pre-election environment could not have been defined as a benchmark; the inaptitude of CEC to follow the major principles will always remain an excruciating headache and backbreaking burden for us. Their move to discriminate against the candidates running in the race brings the necessity of proposing amendments to one of the most essential articles of our election code.
By all odds, those who have entered the polling stations and those who have abstained from taking this step have a different kind of approach to the representatives of the left-wing party.
The recently achieved success of the patriotic alliance has made me think that a new political force has surfaced on our political stage. A rather large amount of votes swept by Mrs. Inashvili can really be defined as a harbinger of the birth of new political power which has already enjoyed the people’s goodwill.
As for the Nationals, it’s without question that in the opposition they feel more comfortable than at the helm of the country. Directing a diatribe against the Government can really not be defined as a big deal; performing good deeds is definitely not an easy task to negotiate though. However, by vilifying the present Government, they only make the memories of their profligate rule having been engraved in our memories even more vivid. Whether this way or that, one thing is irrefutable – the National Movement has always served as a source making the Georgian Dream a viable power.
-- Mr. Gharibashvili’s prediction as per which after the elections, the National Movement would have vanished from Georgia’s political scene once and for all has turned out to be false. The Nationals have managed to sweep a rather large amount of votes. How could you evaluate the election outcome? To what may point the fact that the Georgian Dream swept 51% of the vote, the Nationals – 21%, Burjanadze-Christian-Democrats 10%, Inashvili –Patriotic Alliance – 4% and Kukava-Right wing party 2%?
- Frankly speaking, in my mind, the non-parliamentary opposition has stayed on course thus far -- their policy has remained unchanged. Each of them has focused on our European future. Any other kind of issues must be a subject of behind-the-scenes discussions; however, while delivering a speech they have always defined NATO as a prerequisite of our bright future. Even the Patriotic Alliance that is so prone to releasing critical remarks seems to be oriented on the reinforcement of the national interests – the goal that allegedly is impossible to be realized without NATO and Europe.
- As the opponents of the Government allege, the election of 15 June have introduced a dominant-party system within the country. Does this allegation ring true? And how strong is the chance that the leading party will offer us innovations after it presides over each and every branch of the Government?
- By all odds, a one-party dominant system can be defined as a huge step backward, as a downfall in democracy. However, similar multi-component elections must be oriented on assisting the politicians with different political views to find their niche on the political stage.
At this point in time, all eyes are set on Georgia’s most interesting city, where a competition between the political adversaries will be stiff even in the run-off. This city is Gori, where Nationals will prove unable to run in the mayoral race. It would be interesting to know, with which political force will the National’s constituency side? I long to find out who the locals fear more – Irakli Okruashvili or the Georgian Dream?
- As with each and every election that has been held thus far, the elections of May 15 abounded with odd incidents. The developments around the candidate of the Marneuli region have really taken the cake. The Nationals claimed that their candidate, Ahmed Imamkuliev, who was first removed from the register and then reinstated, would win in the elections of the Marneuli region. After this candidate was reinstated, the Georgian Dream withdrew its candidate Mr. Topchishvili, who openly declared that he would win in the region without the party’s backing and actually beat his political rivals. How could you explain this fact?
-- The actual fact is that this situation must be put on the list of unprecedented incidents having occurred in these elections. If this step was deliberate, we can congratulate them on achieving this goal. However, if this is an unconscious step from the Georgian Dream, we cannot really give them credit for this.
--According to the CEC, independent candidate and journalist Aleko Elisashvili has become a Tbilisi City Council deputy; as reports go, Mr. Elisashvili enjoyed a landslide victory in the Saburtalo District. What could you say in terms of this fact?
- From my point of view, the victory of an independent deputy clearly points to the fact that only politicians must not rule the state; our people think so anyway. At least those bodies that are chosen by the public must not be represented by the politicians only. Popular and quintessential professionals with great experience must also be presented in these institutions. On this particular occasion, Georgians simply showed an aggressive stance towards our politicians and stood by the man who has never told them lies like our mendacious top officials. To cut it short, Elisashvili’s victory is a victory for our unbiased media and democracy.
Koba Bendeliani
InterPressNews
