Opposition plan to make their voices heard

Usually during Autumn, the opposition makes its moves. Presumably, this autumn will be no different, but what slogan will the opposition use as a motto for unification? The analysts think that this message could be to demand that Mikheil Saakashvili leaves active politics as soon as his second presidential term expires. Already for some time, Labours have categorically demanded that the new constitution carries a clause which prohibits the former president from becoming the PM or holding any significant official position. The other opposition parties are planning to start their impeachment process for the president.

The Labours have stated several times that, in the event of adopting a new constitution in the present form would in fact establish Saakashvili’s dictatorship. Labours are critical not only towards the Georgian constitution itself, they are critical about the Venice commission as well. The reason for this is the fact that the Venice commission did not oppose the possibility of Saakashvili becoming PM and, in fact, they left the matter to be decided by Georgian legislators. The leader of Labours, Shalva Natelashvili, has accused the Venice commission of being bribed. The Labours leader actually went even further, claiming that if the constitution is adopted in the form in which it is currently being discussed, the people will have no option but to take weapons and overthrow the government. One could assume that, overall, Natelashvili is accepting that Saakashvili will remain as President until 2013. However, he does not want him to be leader of the country afterwards. Natelashvili even spoke of a formula for “peaceful revolt” to remove Saakashvili. The rest of the opposition, it is believed, are trying to initiate the impeachment process, and have suggested several options. One of the options presents several arguments: Saakashvili monopolized the state governance system, he minimized the court power and its independence. They also allege that he created a corrupt system of bureaucracy and he violated human rights in different ways. There are some other arguments as well. Such as overseeing uncontrolled expenditure of state resources and, most significantly, allowing Russia to occupy Georgian territories which led to the deaths of Georgian soldiers as well as peaceful citizens who were kicked out from the places of their original dwelling.

There are some other details which the opposition is going to use as a major stimulant for its unification and thinks that this approach will activate the population to support the opposition. The ruling majority however finds itself quite confident; it has received support from the Venice commission and plans to proceed with the plan of adopting a new constitution and laying the foundations for Saakashvili to become the PM.