Paving “Georgia’s Way”

Salome Zourabichvili has chosen to pave her way towards the local elections on her own without teaming up with other opposition forces and also through an issue-based criticism of the authorities, hence creating a third influential center in the Georgian politics.

The ex-Foreign Minister and leader of the opposition Georgia’s Way party, was interviewed live on July 11 by the Rustavi 2 television – the one which is boycotted by the rest of the major opposition parties accusing the television of being government-controlled.

“I am against of any kind of boycott. There is ongoing boycott everywhere: parliamentary sessions are boycotted by the opposition MPs; there is a boycott of media sources – both by authorities, who boycott Imedi television, and the opposition parties, who boycott Rustavi 2 TV; but first of all I am against of boycotting elections. This policy of boycotting hampers dialogue which is an essential part of the democracy,” Salome Zourabichvili said.

She said that the current rule of election of the Tbilisi City Council – Sakrebulo is not fair, but it should not become a reason for boycotting local elections, as claimed by some opposition forces.

Elections will be held through the first-past-the-post, “winner takes all” majoritarian system, but a party should garner at least 30% of the total ballots cast in a particular constituency (there are total of ten three and two-mandate constituencies in Tbilisi) to endorse candidates.

“Elections are a chance for the people to express their choice, but it seems that no one cares about it now. The authorities created an election code which is shaped for their interests, as they doubt that they will win total majority [in case of proportional elections] and the seven opposition parties think that together they will fail to garner 30% and for this reason they prefer to boycott. This is a very wrong approach,” Salome Zourabichvili said.

She said that both the authorities and opposition parties should defuse current political tensions and say no to “artificial confrontation.”

“People do not want to come out into the streets and they do not want revolutions and upheavals. People want democracy and people want fair investigation of the Girgvliani murder case,” Zourabichvili said.

She was speaking shortly after the President Saakashvili’s press conference during which the Georgian leader stressed on importance of his recent visit to the United States describing it as historic.

“Success abroad is very important and it is very positive trend. But we should now use this chance and this chance should be used here on the ground through strengthening of democratic institutions here,” Zourabichvili said. 

“The President must give an answer to the people about the Girgvliani murder case. It is not right when the President speaks about meeting with Bush – which in itself was really very positive and very important and I agree with him [President Saakashvili] over this issue – while keeping silence about the Girgvliani case,” she added.

She said that Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili, who bears “a political responsibility” over Sandro Girgvliani murder case, should resign. But she also criticized the Parliament’s leadership for a refusal to set up an investigative commission to probe into this case. Zourabichvili is frequently attacking the Parliament. Her dismissal from the Foreign Minister’s position last October came after the insistence of the parliamentary majority and in particular of Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze.

She also commented on situation in the Tbilisi State University (TSU), which also has topped the political agenda recently. Zourabichvili again distanced herself from rest of the opposition parties and slammed ongoing protest rallies over reforms in the TSU.

“The University’s salvation is not in that Great Council [a disbanded governing body of the TSU uniting so called rebel academicians protesting against ongoing radical reforms],” she said.

She said that the Georgia’s Way will hold an assembly in Tbilisi on July 21 to unveil the party’s policy on the eve of the elections. The first inaugural assembly of the Georgia’s Way party was held in March, 2006.