Adjara Tensions Persist, as Elections Loom

Recent Adjarian-related developments suggest that the Sunday’s parliamentary polls might trigger re-escalation of tensions between Georgia’s central authorities and its defiant Adjarian Autonomy’s leadership.

Georgian State Security Ministry announced on March 26 that it has unveiled an alleged assassination attempt against two leaders of the Adjarian opposition. 

Deputy Security Minister Gigi Ugulava told a news conference on March 26 that the law enforcers arrested resident of Adjarian Autonomy in Tbilisi, who is suspected of masterminding assassination of Edward Surmanidze and Koba Khabazi – both are the Tbilisi-based leaders of the Our Adjara opposition movement, which demands Aslan Abashidze’s resignation.

“Allegedly, Adjarian Security Minister Soso Gogitidze has ordered this person to assassinate Abashidze’s [Adjarian leader] opponents [Khabazi and Surmanidze]. The investigation is underway, and we hope other crimes will also be revealed after the suspect is interrogated,” Ugulava said.

Adjarian Interior Minister Jemal Gogitidze dismissed accusations, as “absurd.”

Meanwhile, U.S. Ambassador in Georgia Richard Miles was visiting Adjarian capital Batumi on March 26 to hold talks with Aslan Abashidze.

Richard Miles hailed talks with Adjarian leader Aslan Abashidze, saying that the meeting was rather useful.  The Adjarian leader said after talks, “situation in the country is very difficult.”

“Besides the elections, there is a great deal of economic and social problems in our country. We have discussed various issues in this regard,” Aslan Abashidze told reporters, however refrained from commenting on the details of the meeting.

It is likely that U.S. Ambassador and Adjarian leaders discussed fulfillment of the March 18 agreement signed by President Saakashvili and Adjarian leader Abashidze after five-day long crisis, which was sparked after Saakashvili’s convoy was denied to enter the Autonomy by the armed supporters of Abashidze.

Abashidze pledge to disarm his paramilitary forces, secure opposition’s free campaigning and fair elections and also to release political prisoners. Abashidze also agreed on appointment of the President’s representatives to Adjara to monitor cash rich port of Batumi and Sarpi customs checkpoint at Turkish border.

However, there are no signs that Abashidze will follow all of these provisions. He has already reneged on his pledge to bow to central authorities and accept the representatives of the President appointed by Saakashvili last week.

President’s representatives to the Adjarian port and customs left for Tbilisi on March 25 after failure to fulfill their duties in the Autonomous Republic.  

“Despite problems we could obtain very important information regarding the Sarpi customs checkpoint and port of Batumi. We will inform regarding this President,” Vasil Sanodze, the President’s representative in port of Batumi told reporters on March 25.

Disarmament of Abashidze’s supporters remains unfulfilled as well. “The process of withdrawal of weapons has not started yet. We have not observed even a single example of this,” State Minister Goga Khaindrava said at a news briefing on March 24.
 
“Armed groups still exist in Batumi, but they appear in the streets during the night time. There are no signs that Abashidze’s supporters intend to surrender weapons,” Tamaz Diasamidze of the opposition movement Our Adjara told Civil Georgia.
 
However, opposition says that they are freely campaigning in the Adjarian Autonomy. Tamaz Diasamidze said, they are meeting with local population in a course of campaigning without obstacles.
 
“We have already held meetings with the population of the Khulo, Keda and Shuakhevi districts and we plan to meet with the Batumi voters in the center of the Adjarian capital. During this period the local authorities have not mounted pressure on us,” Tamaz Diasamidze said.
 
Political analysts say that the elections day and post-election development would be decisive in relations between Tbilisi and Batumi. 

Zeyno Baran, who is a director of International Security and Energy Programs at the Nixon Center, was an election observer at the November 2 parliamentary elections in Georgia.

“Abashidze clearly fears the results of a free and fair election; it is entirely possible that he will attempt to “play tricks” on Saakashvili’s administration, and indeed, on the people of Adjara. Therefore it is extremely important that OSCE and other election observers pay special attention to Adjara,” Zeyno Baran says.

Mátyás Eörsi, who leads a 40-member enlarged delegation from the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly to monitor Sunday’s elections said on March 26, “the conduct of free and fair elections in Adjara depends on the local authorities and voter turnover.”