End of the revolutions in Georgia

It looks like May 26, 2011 has proved to be a turning point for Georgia. Of course some changes will be appearing slowly and people will understand this as time passes by. But there is one very important and significant development which is that nobody is announcing revolutionary changes any more from the opposition. There is also a suggestion that the ruling administration does not need to give a reason for using force. The crack down of the protest rally on May 26 signified that the time for talking about revolution is over. The radical, revolutionary oriented opposition was finally discredited and marginalized. It has become clear that revolutionary changes supported by a certain spectrum of the opposition are not supported by the people and the only way that Government will be elected is through an election. Georgian people are learning lessons, in 1991-92 during a military coup d'etat the president Zviad Gamsakhurdia was ousted from the country. There was bloodshed and around 100 people died in Tbilisi. In 2003 there was a bloodless revolution and, thankfully, since then there have been no revolutionary developments in the country. There are no resources for a revolution in Georgia, thinks Giorgi Targamadze leader of CDM, “luckily or, for some, unluckily”, adds Targamadze.

Some politicians think that, in fact, the actions of the radical opposition yielded certain benefits for the ruling administration. The population was given false hopes which were frustrated and the ruling power became even stronger. The elements of the opposition which are focused on improving the elections environment are expressing dissatisfaction with the conduct of the so called radical opposition. The negotiations-seeking 8 parties mentioned that pre revolutionary developments did not serve the interest of the Georgian people.

One does not need to be a fortune teller to predict that for the time being, nothing significant will change in the political spectrum in Georgia. Saakashvili and his team will remain in power. The ruling power is unlikely to lose an election as they possess huge administrative resources and can always manipulate the elections situation in the country. However, when the ruling authorities managed to suppress the radical opposition, it also undermined the country’s democratic image. There are many supporters of the current administration who have mentioned that law enforcement bodies used excessive force while dispersing protesters in the city. The discontent among the population caused by social hardships has not disappeared. The subject may have gone silent for now but this will not last forever providing these difficult conditions remain. There will come a time when the critical temperature reaches its limit. It would be wise for the ruling administration to allow the moderate opposition segment to engage more closely in policy making and to participate to some extent in the executive power and legislative body as well. It will lead the country down a more democratic path.