A Disheartening Scene โin Tbilisi
The atmosphere in Tbilisi on Saturday felt heavy, reminiscentโ ofโ the preparations authoritarian regimes make to quellโค dissent – a sight โfamiliar from cities likeโ Moscow, St. Petersburg, Belgrade, and Kyiv. Police transported personnel in buses, and streetsโข were clearedโฃ for vehicle movement, creating a sense of imposed order. Unlike protests in Russia, Serbia, and Ukraine, where demonstrators faced defeat or celebrated victory with โvisible โresolve, a sense of expectation of failure permeated the Georgianโ opposition’s efforts.
Several factors contributed toโข this mood. The local elections presented a crucial opportunity โfor the opposition to gain political ground, potentially securing victories in Tbilisi and other major cities that could have provided a platform for policy implementation. However, the largest opposition parties opted โคto boycott the โelection, while smaller parties encouraged participation. This division proved detrimental.
The opposition currently lacksโฃ a unifyingโ leader.โค Former prime Minister Mikheil Saakashvili,a controversial figure,is โimprisoned following a politically motivated conviction,and his health is reportedlyโค deteriorating under difficult conditions.
The dominant force in Georgian politics is Bidzinaโข Ivanishvili, the country’s โขwealthiest individual. He founded theโ Georgia Dream party, which roseโ to power following Saakashvili’s military action in South Ossetia in โค2008. South Ossetia, โa region within Georgia’s borders, โฃhas been โฃunder Russian control sence conflicts in the 1990s. Saakashvili’s actions prompted a Russian military intervention, demonstrating Russia’s influence over Georgia.
Recent parliamentary elections were conducted under conditions โwidelyโฃ consideredโข unfair. Legislation mirroring tactics used in โฃRussia – including the labeling of dissenting voices as “foreign agents,” asset seizures,and restrictions on critical mediaโค – has been implemented,creating an increasingly challenging environment โfor the political opposition. The elections were not endorsed by the OSCE or the EU, andโ sparked large-scale demonstrations in Tbilisi, drawing hundreds of thousands of โparticipants. Saturday’s local elections were intended as a show of strength for both sides,โฃ but only the government demonstrated it’s power.
A telling anecdote emerged โon Sundayโ morning. While having breakfast at a sidewalk cafe, a conversation at a neighboring table centered on Stalin and his relevance to the current situation. The waiter noted โthe discussion revolved aroundโฃ a perceived need for aโ strong leader.
Tbilisi itself is steeped in history, and the echoes of theโ past are โpalpable. Freedom Square, the site ofโ Saturday’s protests, is where Stalin firstโ gained international notoriety in โ1907 after โparticipating in a bank robbery that resulted in deaths.Nearby, the Presidential Palace stands in proximity to the seminary where stalin once studied and โขsang in the choir.
Georgia and its capital city are a tapestry of stories,โ but this particular narrative lacks a hopeful conclusion.