Kmara movement, which emerged last year as a radical opposition movement against then President Shevardnadze, is now actively operating mainly in Adjara Autonomous Republic. Tea Tuashvili, one of the leaders of the movement, says “Kmara’s activity in Adjara aims at ouster of Aslan Abashidze’s dictatorial regime in the Autonomous Republic.”
Kmara has become active in Adjara since early 2004. Kmara consists of up to 500 volunteers in the region. Most of them operate in Batumi; however they are also operating in Khulo, Keda, Khelvachauri and Kobuleti districts of the Autonomous Republic. However, the movement’s activity in Adjara was overshadowed by the escalating tensions between the central authorities of the country and the Adjarian leadership.
Public mobilization campaigns and posting anti-Abashidze banners in the streets of Batumi, carried out by the movement activists is often followed by the violence against the Kmara. Last week two activists of the movement were arrested and held in custody for couple of hours by the local police in Batumi.
MP Davit Zurabishvili, a leading civil society activist and former Liberty Institute (NGO, which has a close links with Kmara), who now is a member of pro-Saakashvili National Movement-Democrats parliamentary faction, says “repressive measures against Kmara makes this movement stronger.”
Like before the rose revolution in rest of Georgia in Adjara too Kmara achieved its main objective – it has managed to capture the public and media attention and stir the public debate.
Kmara’s activity in Adjara is in the line of Georgia’s central authorities’ policy and voices concerns of Tbilisi. “The current regime in Adjara should be replaced. Of course, this should occur through peaceful elections. Snap elections should be held, where citizens will have a chance to make their free choice,” Tea Tuashvili of Kmara said.
After the rose revolution many thought in Georgia that Kmara had exhausted its capacity and should be disbanded; however Kmara itself thinks that the movement will face only some changes in its activity only after the goal is achieved in Adjara.
“We do not think that Kmara will cease activities as soon as the Adjarian problem is settled. However, some changes in our activity are anticipated. The supreme goal of Kmara will be to monitor the activities of the authorities,” Tea Tuashvili said.
Davit Zurabishvili also thinks that the issue of Kmara’s transformation will be put on the agenda by all means.
“Kmara should search for other forms of existence. The youth movement has a great experience in public mobilization and civil activity. Power is a great temptation and in order to avoid it [in regard of country’s new authorities], Kmara may perform a monitoring function and transform into watchdog organization,” Davit Zurabishvili said.