NEWS: Georgia News Digest 04-15-08

A service of the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies

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Archives and associated files at groups.google.com/group/genewsfiles (from February 2008) and groups.google.com/group/genews (before February 2008)

1. Saakashvili warns against unrests
2. CEC publishes rechecked voters list
3. Citizens of Georgia need trust in elections, Matyas Eorsi says
4. Political parties sign code of conduct
5. Political parties running in parliamentary elections to sign pact drawn up by Georgian Public Broadcasting
6. Industrialists file lawsuit against CEC
7. Party urges for constitutional changes to protect church
8. Young wing of Christian Democratic Party demand creating national chamber of language control
9. Labor Party accuses opposition of alliance with ruling party
10. Labor Party leader attacks opposition, Saakashvili
11. Trying to guess Georgian political programmes from the internet
I.G. Chopan and Nino Kartvelishvili
Georgian Times , April 14

With parliamentary elections approaching, the various Georgian parties are stepping up their advertising. One of the major advertising tools nowadays is the internet. Even if people do not read websites, the contents of those websites are often quoted in newspapers and on television, as news programmes on any TV channel, quoting text from elsewhere, and website addresses quoted in newspapers as sources, readily testify. What impression of Georgia’s parties would be gained from studying the internet?

The ruling United National Movement’s (UNM) website (www.unm.ge) has two main characteristics: on the one hand it explains what party members are doing, on the other it responds to allegations made by opponents rather than saying what the UNM will actually do. The page which explains the party’s policies outlines its mission: “The mission of the United National Movement is to build a strong Georgia based on a society that is free, developing and democratic,” and gives some very general principles of how a democratic party and its members should behave. The party does not however give away its position on any subject: it is very difficult to see whether it is right-wing, left-wing or centrist, or whom it primarily represents. It appears to be selling itself on the basis that it is the party in power rather than on any coherent ideological viewpoint.

The New Rights Party of Davit Gamkrelidze (www.ncp.ge) presents a set of values headed “We believe in God and follow universal moral principles.” What follows is consistent with conservative platforms in most countries: it talks of the “sanctity of private property”, free enterprise, individual liberty and traditional values. Its actual programme however states that “we are united to achieve our common goal – to bring about a better life to (sic) each of our citizens”. This goal is very similar to that espoused by the United National Movement, and indeed New Rights is part of the same international grouping (the European People’s Party), but the references to God and the claim that “we, the citizens of Georgia” created the party, imply that this group has greater authority. The New Rights appears to have identified an ideological position and audience, but claims a higher authority, through God and the people, for the views which reflect the interests of this particular audience.

The Republican Party site (www.republicans.ge) has more information, presenting a standard Liberal platform upholding personal liberty and human rights above all. It also includes policy statements on specific areas such as constitutional and economic reform. The reader therefore gains some idea what to expect from a Republican they might vote for.

Conversely the Georgian Labour Party (labour.caucasus.net), which has traditionally held a more distinctive position than other groups by opposing the Rose Revolution and questioning the United Public Opposition, has no internet information at all. Its site is still under construction, giving internet readers no idea what its programme is or whether it wishes to tell anyone what it is. It seems that as with other parties, Labour expects the electorate to find out for itself what it wants to know, rather than giving electors the information which will help them decide how to cast their vote.

According to www.internetworldstats.com 7.1% of Georgians were using the internet in 2007. This represents a growth of 1,560% over the last seven years. With the advent of well-reported schemes to lay cables under the Black Sea and ensure coverage throughout Georgia, this phenomenal growth is likely to continue.

Opposition MP Koba Davitashvili, speaking with The Georgian Times, said that "It is very important to communicate with people through the internet, as more and more people are using it. Mobile internet is also getting more popular, and this is an interesting and popular medium too. It is very important to communicate with people as much as possible, to get our ideas across and get people talking."

The Republican Party Press Service told us: "it is important for people to know the information on our website, and to convey it through the internet in particular, to increase our profile with the electorate."

Given the content and structure of their websites however, it appears that parties need to give more thought as to how to put these sentiments into practice.

In most democratic countries election advertising is much more intensive. Parties go into great detail about what their policies and general positions are, generally more detail than the electors are able to take in, as polls show that few electors know all the published policies of their chosen party. Canvassing in person, from door-to-door, is the norm in countries such as the United Kingdom, whilst poster and internet advertising, and long letters to newspapers, are common in countries such as France, where political parties tend to be more transient entities. In addition, it is a growing trend, reflected in expense returns, for elected politicians to send regular e-newsletters to their constituents. Brian Cotter, now in the UK House of Lords, was one of the first MPs to have a parliamentary e-mail address and website, whilst Greg Hands, Member of Parliament for Hammersmith and Fulham, sends his newsletter every week, regardless of whether any elections are being held.

In America political parties engage in very direct campaigning. This often involves celebrities such as Paul Newman and Cher ringing electors at their homes and try to persuade them to vote for their chosen candidate. The websites of the main American parties (www.gop.com, www.democrats.org) are full of information on the positions adopted by these parties. You are left in no doubt as to who they represent: for example, “The Democratic Party has a long and proud history of representing and protecting the interests of working Americans and guaranteeing personal liberties for all.” This is in spite of the fact that American representatives vote in a less partisan way than in most democracies. It should be noted however that these canvassing methods may have limited impact. The turnouts in American elections are spectacularly low, some American congressional elections producing turnouts of 35% or less.

Maybe Georgian political parties are aware of the fate of the “Owenite” Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the UK. When this organisation refused to merge with the Liberals and continued independently, it finished behind the Official Monster Raving Loony Party, a joke organisation, in a bye-election. It thus disbanded, as it had no clear image with the electorate. The Official Monster Raving Loony Party website (www.omrlp.com) includes 172 manifesto proposals, leaving the electors in no doubt what they stand for. These include number 137: “To make electricity cheaper to produce, all joggers will be placed in a huge revolving drum linked by a dynamo to the national grid.”

12. Political strategies change as businessmen stand for office
13. The ruling party continues to meet with voters
14. Bokeria foreign minister, Bakradze to Parliament
15. Georgia getting ready for NATO ministerial
16. MPs urge Europe not to cave in to Russia over NATO
17. Moscow makes furious but empty threats to Georgia and Ukraine
18. NATO expansion and modern Europe [excerpt]
19. Non, nein, nyet
20. By saying you must resolve territorial conflicts, you give Moscow a veto
21. Is the Russian education against the NATO standards?
22. Putin may sign decree on breakaway Georgian republics
23. Actions of Russia in de facto republics to be followed by corresponding reaction of Georgian side
24. Moscow will respond to NATO with Abkhazia
25. Kremlin plans to begin official relation with Georgia's breakaway regions and open diplomatic representations
26. Statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia
27. Russian delegations threatens with conflict regions in Georgia
28. Georgia to give "appropriate answers" to Russia's "unfriendly steps"
29. President of Georgia offers Abkhazia broad federalism
30. Tbilisi warns Abkhazia of ecological threats
31. De facto government of Abkhazia plans to put Sokhumi airport to exploitation
32. Bagapsh once again refuses peaceful initiatives of Saakashvili
33. UN Security Council to discuss Abkhazia
34. Minister dismisses prospect of international flights at Abkhaz airport
35. Abkhazia touts investment potential ahead of Russian Olympics
36. Stalin's space monkeys
37. Vardzelashvili to settle irrigation problems for Sanakoyev
38. I hope that they will not take their preventive measures as far as to force us carry out preventive measures
39. Georgia to pull peacekeepers from Kosovo, redeploy most to Afghanistan
40. Georgian troops on the front line in Iraq
41. Conference regarding conflict regulation in GUAM countries to be held in Baku
42. TV station protests over refusal on political programming
43. Maestro TV employees and their colleagues held protest manifestation on parliament building stairs
44. New state representative of the president attacked Hereti Radio
45. Ex-Imedi TV journalists launch current affairs programme on Georgian Public TV
46. Electricity in Georgia – too high, a roundtable says
47. Making Georgian-made food safer – high on the agenda
48. Agriculture’s share in GDP down
49. Baltika to import Austrian, Japanese and French brands
50. Multiplex energy limited acquires water supply objects in Georgia
51. In 2007, capital investments of company BP in Georgia totalled $200 million
52. Wine tourism benchmarks Georgia on international markets
53. Gulf emirate to develop free economic zone in Poti
54. RAK to buy Georgia Black Sea port
55. Export procedures to be simplified
56. Georgia hopes for busy tourist season
57. Eight accused citizens released
58. Problems regarding Georgian language considered at session of “Movement 1978”
59. Groups of criminals suspected of stealing auto parts and carjacking detained
60. NGO founded in Kutaisi on Monday
61. Georgia to join European Public Law Organization
62. Ethnic groups in Georgia #10 – Armenians


Jonathan Kulick, Ph.D., Director of Studies, Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies, 3a Chitadze, Tbilisi 0108, Georgia (Republic), jonathan.kulick@gfsis.org, office: +995 32 47 35 55, mobile: +995 95 33 33 40, USA voicemail: 310.928.6814