Georgia: Government outmaneuvers opposition with parliament's kick-off session

Giorgi Lomsadze: 6/09/08

In the end, it all came down to timing. Georgia's newly elected parliament convened on June 7 in an unexpected session that left the country's main opposition force scrambling to come up with new ways to challenge President Mikheil Saakashvili's resurgent authority.

Georgia's eight-party opposition coalition had originally called for protestors to gather in front of parliament on June 8 to prevent the newly elected legislature from sitting. The group has refused to recognize the results of the May 21 parliamentary elections, handily won by the governing United National Movement for a Victorious Georgia. The opposition continues to insist that the voting was rigged, even though international observers did not share that opinion. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].

By law, the president had to call for parliament to convene by June 10. But ongoing delays over naming a date had sparked speculation that parliament might convene outside of Tbilisi – even in a boat off the coast of Batumi – in a bid to avoid a clash between opposition protestors and riot police.

With the opposition's protest schedule announced, the government apparently decided to get the jump on their plans.

News of the surprise parliamentary session broke late on June 6, prompting opposition leaders to scramble to gather supporters for an overnight rally in front of parliament. Former presidential candidate Levan Gachechiladze, the de facto leader of the United Opposition Movement, burst into a live television interview with ex-President Eduard Shevardnadze to announce the opposition's plans. "We are all gathering now to prevent this government from lending an air of legitimacy to this fraudulent parliament," declared Gachechiladze via Tbilisi's pro-opposition Kavkasia TV.

The element of surprise, though, clearly worked in the government's favor. The opposition's late night rally on June 6 gathered a mere scattering of supporters; by morning on June 7, their numbers had increased to a few hundred people.

Despite earlier pledges, no attempt was made to stop government officials or newly elected MPs from entering the parliament building. Several opposition leaders, occasionally laughing, cut up cards identifying them as members of parliament, but the action failed to spark an audience response. Talk of an alternative parliament has largely evaporated.

Nor did the government appear to expect a full-force response. A handful of security troops could be seen in parliament's basement and on neighboring side streets; 19 buses of riot police and two water canons were spotted at a nearby square.

Meanwhile, during the June 8 inaugural parliamentary session, President Saakashvili sounded a conciliatory note. "Georgia cannot afford a split into radicals and moderates," Saakashvili told parliament members. Newly elected parliamentary speaker David Bakradze echoed that message. "Cooperation with all political forces will be my priority," he said. "We will create conditions to form strong positions for the opposition parties in the parliament."

Parliamentary Speaker Bakradze has offered opposition members several deputy speaker positions and slots on as yet undefined parliamentary committees. To date, though, there has been no concrete sign that any opposition MP would accept a top post in parliament.

The message of national unity is one that the government is now pushing heavily. After attending parliament's opening session, Georgian Orthodox Church Patriarch Ilia II, arguably Georgia's most influential public personality, addressed protestors. "The devil divides, God unites," said the 75-year-old church leader.

Analysts say that growing internal differences and the lack of a sound political strategy have diminished the opposition's ability to broaden or even to sustain its support base. "While the Nationals' [short for the ruling United National Movement] party maintained a solid façade of calm and unity, the opposition parties failed to bury their differences and come up with a common and consistent strategy," commented independent analyst Zaza Jgharkava.

Despite their widespread denunciations of the May 21 parliamentary polls, opposition leaders were divided on the matter of a parliamentary boycott. The Christian Democrats, a new arrival on Georgia's political scene, were the first strikebreaker. The decision by party leader, Giorgi Targamadze, a former popular journalist and head of news programming for Imedi TV, has sparked charges that the party is collaborating with Saakashvili – an accusation the ex-journalist has dismissed as groundless.

On June 9, two leading figures from the eight-party opposition coalition also opted out of the boycott. Gia Tortladze and Gia Tsagareishvili placed the blame on the New Rights Party, a latecomer coalition member. "The National Council [of the United Opposition Movement] has been making unilateral decisions since the New Rights joined it," Tortladze said at a news conference. The two men, along with the small party On Our Own, another ex-coalition member, said that they would take their seats in parliament if the opposition gains greater legislative powers.

One observer contends that Saakashvili has emerged the clear winner, after more than seven months of almost non-stop political confrontation. "The government has worked very consistently to gain the upper hand in the public relations battle, while the opposition failed to make use of and provide an outlet for the significant popular frustration with Saakashvili's government," said independent political analyst Ramaz Sakvarelidze.

"While the [opposition] remains divided about the methods and venues for its political struggle, the checks and balances [on government] are becoming increasingly consolidated in the hands of one party and one person," Sakvarelidze continued.

Alexander Rondeli, president of the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies believes that the recent turmoil proved to be a valuable learning experience for all of Georgia's political parties. "You can't blame one person for all the country's woes, especially those caused by Lenin and Stalin," he said. "The good thing is that the people and the government are coming to realize that the age of heroes is over, and are slowly learning to compromise."

Editor's Note: Giorgi Lomsadze is a freelance reporter based in Tbilisi.

Posted June 9, 2008 © Eurasianet