(themoscowtimes.coml) About 10,000 people gathered Friday in front of Tbilisi's parliament building to hear President Mikheil Saakashvili
and members of his United National Movement party, or UNM, bash Prime
Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili. The last time the UNM held an opposition
rally was in 2003, when it led tens of thousands of people to protest
rigged parliamentary elections and ended up overthrowing the regime
of Eduard Shevardnadze. The times have truly changed.
Members of the UNM want us to believe that 30,000 people showed up
while Ivanishvili's majority party, Georgian Dream, took credit
for allowing 5,000 to peacefully gather to criticize them. Either way,
the fact thousands and not hundreds of people came out is a sign that
the UNM is still a relevant party.
Not all of the 10,000 people who attended the rally were UNM
supporters. Some were chronic protesters that come out regardless of the
message. Others were curious. The UNM is rebranding itself as a new
party that has learned from its mistakes. Convincing people that this is
the case is one thing. Getting them to realize how important it is
for the country to have a competent opposition is another.
Georgian Dream leader and speaker of parliament Davit Usupashvili
understands this. He says the "survival" of UNM is the task of the
Georgian democracy. Sadly, few of his colleagues share these sentiments.
Since coming into power, Georgia Dream has spared no efforts to make
the UNM pay for its sins by trying to obliterate it. The new authorities
have arrested a score of former UNM officials and have initiated
investigations into Saakashvili's closest allies. Ivanishvili wants
Saakashvili to answer questions about the 2008 war with Russia. Two days
before the rally, Georgia Dream released declassified information
on how Saakashvili spent public funds on extravagant holidays
and luxurious gifts. In the experiment called democratization, Georgia
hasn't yet figured out it should be nurturing democratic competition
instead of eliminating it.
Nevertheless, we are witnessing a new era in Georgian politics where
bills actually get debated and the president exercises his right
to veto. The UNM is an opposition with a vision and experience. It is
also the most competent body there is to keep Georgian Dream in check.
Who cares how many came out to demonstrate on Friday? Finally,
a political rally was held in Tbilisi in which nobody demanded that
the leader of the ruling party to step down.
Monday, April 22, 2013
ARTICLE: Saakashvili Gives Birth To a Real Opposition. By Paul Rimple (themoscowtimes.coml)
Labels:
Mikhail Saakaschwili,
Moscow Times,
Opposition,
Paul Rimple,
UNM
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