Amanda Paul from Zaman touched upon Georgia’s elections and their impact on the country. The article below:
Georgia’s recent parliamentary elections will probably go down as a turning point in the history of the country.
First, because of the unexpected win by Bidzina Ivanishvili’s Georgian Dream coalition. Even though Ivanishvili had been predicting this victory for months, the polls kept reporting him as trailing some way behind the United National Movement (UNM) Party of Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili. While the “undecided” voters, combined with the last-minute leaked footage of abuse in Georgia’s prisons, may have helped boost Ivanishvili’s numbers, at the same time there was definitely a sense among many Georgians that after almost 10 years of Saakashvili’s revolutionary policies and reform, it was time for change. Yet, while the Saakashvili chapter may be coming to a close, his legacy as a reformer and state builder, as well as his vibrant personality will be remembered forever. Moreover, contrary to fears that Saakashvili would fight to hold on to power or protest the result, in the end he acted like a true statesman and conceded defeat. That could not have been easy for him because he is not a man who is used to losing. But thankfully, unlike a number of other leaders in this region, he put Georgia first.
Second, it was a victory for democracy, marking an important step in consolidating the conduct of democratic elections, as underlined in the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s (OSCE) Election Monitoring report. Furthermore, for the first time in the South Caucasus a normal transition of power through the ballot box took place. Democracy took a step forward and Georgia’s international image sparkled. Georgians should feel proud.
Georgia delivered exactly what the international community had asked for. Both NATO and the EU had linked deeper integration to free and fair elections and a peaceful transfer of power. While deeper integration with the EU via the Association Agreement — which Georgia is presently negotiating — was undoubtedly an incentive, it would seem to me that Georgia’s desire to move ahead on the road towards NATO membership, something that has been repeatedly promised, was perhaps the biggest carrot.
Straight after the election, Ivanishvili declared the US would be Georgia’s main partner, with Euro-Atlantic integration remaining the strategic focus of the country.
Yet Saakashvili will remain president until October 2013, and he has made it clear he does not want early elections. Therefore, until constitutional changes come into force after the 2013 presidential elections, when key power will move to the prime minister, Saakashvili will continue to have strong powers. This will represent a test for the two men, given that until now the two have had a hostile relationship, basically viewing each other as enemies.
Ivanishvili has nominated himself to be prime minister, although he still has no Georgian nationality. He was stripped of it early this year, having only a French passport these days. His Georgian citizenship is expected to be reinstated prior to the new Parliament being in place.
Earlier this week Ivanishvili nominated his team with many choices for key portfolios being experienced diplomats, several of whom were once part of the Saakashvili crew. His choice for foreign minister, Maia Panjikidze, is an experienced diplomat who served as Georgian ambassador in Germany and the Netherlands, while his choice for state minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration and vice prime minister, Alexi Petriashvili, has also had several key postings. Both are very familiar with Georgia’s NATO and EU dossiers. Irakli Alasania, leader of the Our Georgia-Free Democrats (OG-FD) party and former Georgian ambassador to the UN under Saakashvili, has been nominated as deputy prime minister and minister of defense, while former Milan football star Kakha Kaladze has been nominated as deputy prime minister and minister of regional development and infrastructure.
A simple majority of the 150-seat Parliament is needed to approve the new Cabinet. It should be an easy process given that Ivanishvili’s Georgian Dream is expected to hold 83 seats in the next Parliament compared to 67 for Saakashvili’s United National Movement. It will also be interesting to see how the Georgian Dream coalition is able to work together, given the fact that they are a very diverse group.
While Georgia has achieved a lot under Saakashvili, many challenges remain. Georgia still has high rates of unemployment and poverty that need to be tackled, while also facing considerable security challenges, including the ongoing occupation of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Ivanishvili has said his first foreign trip will be to Washington, and while Ivanishvili has declared he wants to improve relations with Russia, it seems there is no date yet for a Moscow visit. No doubt he will be taking a slow step-by-step approach vis-à-vis normalizing relations, as quite rightly stated by Mrs. Panjikidze, probably taking years. Yet it is also clear that after years of frozen ties, better relations with Russia are vital, particularly for resolving issues related to Georgia’s territorial integrity and regional security concerns.
Georgia really has taken a great step forward and I hope this is only the beginning. I also hope it may also have a positive impact on its South Caucasus neighbors, which presently lag far behind Georgia
