Libya-style revolution in Georgia foreseen by Burjanadze
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Friday, April 15
Burjanadze is sure the action plan of the Representative Public Assembly, which is to be announced on 2 May, will gain a lot of supporters that will take to streets and pursue important changes in the country. Burjanadze claims that people are extremely worried about the reality in the country and are waiting for the start of the fight. She also responded to those who claim the government will not depart without bloodshed, saying nothing can ever be achieved without some risk,” The policy of the government is based on a lie. It is clear the lie will be destroyed one day. Let’s gather together and show the world that we are not to be intimidated or fooled. Of course, risk always exists and this risk should be reduced to a minimum, however it is unacceptably to justify your inert attitude with the fear that something bad might happen.”
Declaring the period when you plan revolution against Mikheil Saakashvili is less serious- states the representative of Republican Party, Levan Berdzenishvili and he explained the attitude of certain oppositional figures, who are more engaged in improving the election environment in the country, “there is a very hard economic situation in the country which might make you think that people will be bored with this reality and take to the street, however the reality is different. There is no pre revolution situation in the country, maybe I cannot see it. Madam Burjanadze has declared the revolution; however, I think that this idea will fail. Not only are the authorities waiting for her failure, Mister Irakli Okruashvili( former Defense Minister, one of the leaders of Georgian party) also expects her to fail after which he will think himself about holding a revolution. Politicians might not be tired with such games; however people would be fed up with such actions.”
One of the main points of the research carried out by International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) has been dedicated to Georgian society’s attitude towards a revolution process and possible instigators of people’s participation in street rallies. (The survey was conducted in five regions of Georgia on 20-28 February 2011. 1101 people were interviewed)
Based on the survey 8.1% say there is no ground for protest in the country, while those planning to take part in the protests name social problems as the main motive: 16.9 % named unemployment, 14.7% high prices and low salaries, 9.5 % - violation of human rights, 8.5 % - high taxes as motives for participation in the protests. 7.4 % said protests would be useless.
There was one noticeable attitude revealed by the survey, which has been underlined by the ISFED representatives, “It is noticeable that there is some inconsistency – attitudes and relations of the respondents are of an ambivalent nature – when 70% of respondents consider the forms of government democratic, 88.2% expresses distrust in electoral processes and election results.” According to them, presumably, these kind of controversies should be considered as products of different developments: positive – the various reforms carried out by the government, improvement of general living conditions (roads, electricity, gas, water supply), the declaration of democratic path and democracy building, etc; negative – after the 2003 revolution the above mentioned changes were accompanied by a number of emotional cataclysms: the hope of a better future after revolution, the following disappointment of both government and opposition parties, lack of changes that would leave a positive tangible impact on social-economic conditions of particular families, all of these created a foundation for nihilism and the development of double attitudes.