Presidential Elections 2013 - another step towards democracy

The Georgian Dream coalition claims that it is committed to further increasing the democratic processes in the country. The coalition names the forthcoming presidential election in October as yet further proof of democracy in Georgia.

However, as some analysts have pointed out, opponents are constantly challenging the democratic claims of the new administration by creating various obstacles, and sometimes even provocations.

For instance, certain groups of people created problems by triggering provocative issues. The aggressive behavior of the crowd and some leaders after the friendly football match between Tbilisi Dynamo and Moscow Dynamo attended by Russian MPs can be named as an example.

So, certain NGOs are giving a warning signal to the coalition that there are provocations planned by the United National Movement (UNM) and their supporters aimed at discrediting the country’s democracy.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili repeatedly states that the Georgian Dream coalition plans to conduct exemplary, free and fair elections, which will represent the real character and ambitions of the new leadership.

Many international organizations and individuals, including European Commissioner Stefan Fule, have expressed their confidence that the Georgian government will do its best to secure fair and transparent presidential elections.

Most of Georgia’s allies around the world point to the success of the Parliamentary Elections, of 2012, which resulted in a peaceful change of power in the country as an example of Georgia’s ability to conduct fair elections.

However, independent analysts believe that the parliamentary elections were designed to be manipulated by the then ruling UNM and it was the goodwill of the entire Georgian population to get rid of the regime that determined the victory of the Georgian Dream coalition.

Additional proof of the current leadership’s dedication to democratic principles was its tolerance of the current leadership with regard to the illegal and unconstitutional prolongation of the terms of Mikheil Saakashvili’s presidency, whose legal term as president expired in January, 2013.

The Georgian Dream leadership wisely decided that forcing Saakashvili to step down from his post could have provoked certain unrest in the country, which would not be favorable for the democratic processes in the country.

Currently, PM Ivanishvili and other coalition leaders have tried to establish a real model of cohabitation between the opposing groups of people in the country. Although the former UNM leadership labels all the steps to re-establish justice in the country as a political pursuit, it should be mentioned that the Georgian Dream coalition tries to avoid interference into the conduct of law enforcement bodies, the prosecutor’s office and the court system.

Such a sensitive situation requires an attentive approach towards all the subtle issues that currently exist in the country.

A lot of responsibility falls on the shoulders of the coalition, but this responsibility should be shared with the opposition as well.