Translated material
Information evening
The Georgian public will help the opposition
This fall, the Georgian opposition is preparing another offensive, which will be facilitated by growing economic discontent in society. After Russia suspended grain exports in mid-August, bread prices in Georgia increased by 15-20%, and people have to pay more for other food products. In addition, this time the leaders of the protest movement will be opposition-minded prominent representatives of the Georgian public, who intend to announce the convening of an All-Georgian People's Assembly at the end of September. Meanwhile, leading oppositionists, unsuccessfully seeking the resignation of President Mikheil Saakashvili's team, will fade into the background for a while.Among the initiators of the convening of the People's Assembly are famous figures of culture, art, science, and sports, whose opinions have traditionally been valued in Georgia. As five-time world chess champion Nona Gaprindashvili told Vremya Novostei, “you cannot take a passive position when the country is sliding towards the abyss.” However, public trust in the opposition has declined. Therefore, new elections of the President and Parliament will be demanded by the delegates of the People's Assembly.
The country's leadership categorically declares that elections in Georgia will be held within the time frame specified by the constitution - parliamentary in two years and presidential in three. However, the initiators of the “Georgian Assembly” believe that the authorities will be forced to listen to the voice of the people. It is assumed that the assembly will announce something like a nationwide impeachment to the authorities. This will become a guide to action for Mikheil Saakashvili’s opponents, who will then be able to say that the people are thirsty for change.
A significant part of the Georgian opposition has already stated that they agree with the entry of “social activists” to the forefront and are ready to support the convening of the People’s Assembly. Former speaker of parliament Nino Burjanadze, who now heads the United Georgia Democratic Movement, said that the authorities are “terrified” of this idea because they are afraid of the truth. The fact is that national television companies have practically stopped broadcasting reports about opposition sentiments or, for example, about the problems of refugees or street vendors, who spent almost the entire month of August at rallies protesting against their expulsion from their homes in Tbilisi. According to Ms. Burjanadze, who recently confirmed her intention to run for the post of head of state in the future, the opposition has the truth on its side, which the authorities do not want to convey to regions that do not have the opportunity to receive signals from small TV channels “Maestro” and “Kavkasia” considered to be opposition and receive newspapers. Through the All-Georgian meeting, opponents of the authorities plan to break through the information blockade and “raise the province.”
Another prominent oppositionist also focuses on the regions - ex-permanent representative to the UN, leader of the Our Georgia - Free Democrats movement, Irakli Alasania, who failed to take the post of mayor of Tbilisi in the May local elections. Taking into account the lessons of these elections, which showed the strength of the administrative resource of the ruling United National Movement on the ground, the opposition intends to create headquarters in the provinces in preparation for future elections.
However, some significant figures of the Georgian opposition have already given up the fight. Former State Minister for Conflict Resolution Georgiy Khaindrava decided to leave Georgia for at least several years. As a professional film director, he received an invitation to work in Spain and took advantage of this, since, according to him, the situation in Georgia now is simply “shameful.”