Georgian expert community continues to comment on the results of the change of power in the country. The different experts offer different visions of the current events and the ways to improve them. It should be noted that, at the current transitional phase of development of the Georgian state, the media provide their sites for opposing points of view, of which Georgia got out of the habit since the reign of Saakashvili`s "National Movement".
Time will show, whether it will continue after the confirmation of the new forces` positions.
Some authors take a critical view concerning the activities of the Prime Minister of Georgia Bidzina Ivanishvili and his team. The interesting (and factful) article by Tamar Papalashvili deserves the detailed consideration.
"Professionals are discharged from the police. They are replaced by supporters of the current and former government security forces under the reign of Eduard Shevardnadze. Everybody remember, at that time mothers sewed their teenage sons` pockets not having been planted drugs, and in any police station were the so-called ''torture'' rooms. It is also remembered that in the time of Kakha Targamadze, the former Interior Minister, the suspects threw themselves out of windows. Today, the ''Iron Man'' has proudly returned to Georgia for running a business. Army is going to be reduced. The new minister said that Georgia had two major challenges - extremism and terrorism. Russia has inexplicably been dropped from the list, and they do not try to remember 20% of the occupied territories. Apparently, in order not to ruin the mood of the big brother. They try to subordinate the court to the authorities, and all the talks about the independence of the judges are turning to pre-election promises ... The Georgian authorities, voluntarily or involuntarily, discredited the concept of ''political prisoners'' just to discredit Saakashvili's ''National Movement'' in the eyes of the West," – has written the Georgian expert Tamar Papalashvili in the article "A piece of sausage on a slice of bread" on pages of the information-analytical portal "Georgia Online", January 23, 2013.
"Former corrupt officials and unscrupulous businessmen are returning to Georgia. Now they are called the victims of Saakashvili's regime. We can assume that in the near future may emerge the names of Paata Shevardnadze, a son of ex-president Eduard Shevardnadze, and Levan Vasadze, the Russian businessman, who had found favor of the Patriarchate of Georgia, and who at that time was a vice president of the ''System'' . According to the Russian media, this organization is closely linked to the Russian intelligence services. Paata Shevardnadze who had an interest in the energy sector, can count on the former colleagues of his father and their supporters, who have returned to power. Today, the Georgian energy system is again tied to the Russian one"- the author notes.
She drew attention to the obvious mistakes of the new government - namely, the release of the criminal elements, "The large-scale amnesty opened the prison doors to criminals and offenders of all kinds and levels. But for some reason it comes to one`s mind the report of the Austrian police that the Georgian criminal world has financed the Georgian opposition in 2009. As you know, one good turn deserves another. However, the current Prime Minister urged to treat with understanding the increased number of crimes. Frankly speaking – it`s difficult. And that was not the dream of the voters on September 30, 2012. "
The article gives specific facts causing discontent among some part of the population of Georgia: "Free education has touched on strange spheres: agriculture, that will never be profitable until more than 40% of the population is engaged in it, philologists, historians - unclaimed professions because of excess; philosophers, (can anyone become a philosopher by getting a diploma?) power engineering specialists - despite the fact that the construction of the hydropower plant has been suspended, etc. You can make only one conclusion: the state is financing the professions that will not promote Georgia to achieve a modernizing breakthrough in the 21st century. However, these jobs will generate pseudo-intellectual electorate that is easy to control. The new system is based on the corruption component, because in the state service are engaged people without contest, on the principle of favouritism."
Tamar Papalashvili has also touched upon the foreign policy platform of Ivanishvili: "The sharp turn of the foreign policy vector in the direction of Russia suggests that after a while, when the post-election euphoria disappears and the "Georgian Dream" finally is at the helm of the state, the politicians of the ruling party will not need a mantra of the pro-Western course immutability and entry into NATO and the EU. Words and the deeds differ. Geopolitical triangle of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia is turning to Georgia-Armenia-Russia. Although nobody has mentioned Russia aloud, but it is clear that it is the third side of this triangle. For Russia it is vitally important to return to the South Caucasus as the only dominant and get Azerbaijan to subdue Europe completely and leave her without the energy alternative."
The author is openly positioning herself as a supporter of the reforms of Mikhail Saakashvili, but nevertheless it`s clear that the current change of power in Georgia is following the same script as in the period of elbowing the way into the power by the current Georgian president. That means, nothing has changed in the methods and forms of pressure and seizing the real leadership positions. The only difference - ten years ago were beaten and ousted both at the national and municipal levels the people of Shevardnadze, and now the new authorities are doing the same with people of Saakashvili: "At the municipal level, there is a real coup. Supporters of the current government are seizing the city and township governments, trying to oust the members of gamgeoba and sakrebulo, most of whom are supporters and members of the "National movement." Most often they are successful in their actions. Elections to the local governments will be held only in 2014. By that time the discontent may exceed the critical mass, and then Georgia can face the threat of defeat. Therefore, picketing the local government agencies and their forcible seizure became commonplace in today's politics. Could the leadership of the ruling party and the Prime Minister stop this lawlessness? Certainly, could. But they do not want, because the today`s creeping coup may be explained by the will of people, but not by the political will of the Party."
Quite remarkable is the final conclusion of the author: "The problem lies in the fact that ''sweet gingerbread is never enough for everybody,'' and the expectation of early general happiness is too keen ... The best pieces of sausage come to those who cut them. And the common people are satisfied with the tails and strings."
We can add that, in fact, in the time of Saakashvili many people in Georgia were dreaming even of a "tail" of sausage with a string, but, in general, the article has quite objectively conveyed the moods that prevail today in the camp of supporters of Saakashvili. The still president-Saakashvili- is also distressed.
"Georgia's accession to NATO may be undecided," - he said, speaking January 21 at the PACE winter session. According to him, a very great surprise caused the words of Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, uttered during his visit to Yerevan.
"In particular, he said that Georgia could have good relations with NATO and with Russia at the same time, and put a little strange sign of equality between the two forces, giving as an example our Armenian friends. Georgia has chosen the membership in NATO, Armenia has not chosen this path. It is the sovereign right of any nation - to choose the way which is most suitable for them. But relations and integration are different things. What the Prime Minister said, unfortunately, has changed everything we had been doing. This means that Georgia's accession to NATO may be undecided, "- said Mikheil Saakashvili, writes "Georgia Online" January 21, 2013 (the article "Saakashvili: Georgia's accession to NATO may be undecided").
A wide response was drawn by the last week's visit of the Catholicos-Patriarch of Georgia Ilia II to Moscow. He was received by the Russian Patriarch Kirill and the Russian President Vladimir Putin. And then he met with representatives of the Georgian diaspora. At this meeting Ilia II said: "I had a conversation with His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, during which we discussed all of our urgent problems and made a plan to help our brothers - the Abkhazians and Ossetians (the killing of which the Georgian Orthodox Church does not consider a sin - a comment of the author.) His Holiness Patriarch Kirill is doing everything in his power for us to restore our unity, the unity of Georgia. Also, I had a meeting with His Excellency the President of Russia Vladimir Putin. I have met him before, but the care he has shown this time, is really special and inspiring. I think that Vladimir Putin is a wise leader who will be able to reverse the situation, and Georgia will be united" (site « Georgians», January 26, 2013).
And in March of this year Georgia for the first time in recent years will host the Georgian-Russian business forum. The agreement was reached on January, 23 in Davos, during the meeting of the head of the National Investment Agency of Georgia Georgy Pertaya with a head of the Business Association of Russia. According to Pertaya, Russian businessmen are showing great interest in Georgia, so it was decided to hold the spring special forum for them. The event will bring together in Tbilisi representatives of major Russian companies. The head of the National Investment Agency of Georgia expressed his hope that the meeting would bring positive results, writes "Georgia Online" January, 26, 2013 (the article "Tbilisi will host the Georgian-Russian business forum").
Soon it will also be held negotiations on the resumption of deliveries of the Georgian wine to the Russian market.
"The Russian Foreign Ministry has instructed the Russian Interests Section, located at the Embassy of Switzerland to issue visas to the Georgian delegation. The Georgian delegation will travel to Russia for talks on the resumption of the delivery of the Georgian products to the Russian market, writes the Georgian edition "MediaNews" in the issue of January 27, 2013 in the article "The Russian Foreign Ministry has ordered the issuance of visas to the Georgian delegation."
"" The Russian Foreign Ministry received a statement of Gennady Onishchenko requesting the visa support to members of the Georgian delegation traveling to Moscow for negotiations. The Russian Interests Section at the Swiss Embassy in Tbilisi has been instructed to issue visas to them, "- noted the Foreign Ministry of Russia. The Georgian delegation will consist of seven people to negotiate in Moscow. The meeting is scheduled for February 4. Delivery of the Georgian wine and mineral water to Russia was discontinued in 2006. Then, as the official reason for this were identified the product quality problems,"- said the publication.
Thus, we see that Georgia is changing its tactics in relations with Russia; the strategy has remained the same - by hook or by crook to force Russia to change its attitude towards South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
