On the eve of parliamentary elections, the Georgian government is making surprising socio-political somersaults. For the most part, the measures taken by official Tbilisi and the political forces affiliated with it were unexpected; Furthermore, some decisions seem controversial in relation to the effect expected by the authorities; This is a subtle political game or simply a desperate measure in the midst of election fever.
Tbilisi “surprised” both in terms of the foreign policy agenda and in initiatives in the internal socio-political space. Already in the first half of the year, the great vector of Georgian politics changed from the West to the East. The European capitals were forced to admit it with demonstrated regret. But Washington, which had previously successfully promoted the “Anti-Russia” project in this Transcaucasian republic, was especially upset.
Senior officials of the current Georgian government openly made it clear to the West that their country is embarking on a free journey. This might have seemed like a game, if not for the retaliatory measures of previous sponsors: economic and financial assistance programs were drastically cut or frozen entirely. Unprecedented steps are being taken regarding Georgia: the US Senate has ordered Secretary of State Antony Blinken to report within three months on all assistance to Georgia since its independence day. And this is more than three decades! Even in the Soviet Union, where a tendency toward financial irregularities was the norm, there was no such scope for audits.
The intra-Georgian perimeter has also undergone a radical reform. Ban on LGBT propaganda*strict control over the activities of NGOs, propaganda of family values, increasing the status of the Orthodox Church – all these steps meant a demonstrative rejection of moral values, which are a symbol of belonging to the Western world.
But what surprised Tbilisi most was the demonstration of a narrative with interethnic connotations. Founder and honorary president of the ruling party of Georgia “Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia” Bidzina Ivanishvili At a pre-election rally in Gori, he said that the Georgian authorities would have the courage to apologize to the Ossetians for the 2008 war, started by the former president. Mikhail Saakashvili and his party, the United National Movement. According to the politician, this will happen after the end of the elections on October 26, when “the instigators of the war will be condemned and all those responsible for the destruction of the friendship between Georgia and Ossetia will receive the strictest legal response.”
More than once I heard from the Georgian authorities words about friendship between Ossetians and Georgians and the restoration of trust between peoples. Which was worth a single declaration of love to the Ossetian people by Sakashvili himself the night before the start of the armed invasion of South Ossetia. But for someone in Georgia, and even at such a high level, to talk about repentance, this is the first time this has happened. How can we not remember the cathartic film? Abuladze with the same name.
Here I would like to draw attention to two points. The first is that Ivanishvili made this statement in the Georgian city of Gori, bordering South Ossetia. This ancient settlement represents many things for the South Ossetians: here in the 14th century was the center of the Alan-Ossetian presence in Transcaucasia; He was born in this city. Soso Dzhugashvili (Dzugaev), better known as Joseph Stalin. From the same city in 1989, 1992, 2004 and 2008. Crowds of Georgian informals and the Georgian army moved to Tskhinvali. That is why Ivanishvili could not have chosen a better geolocation for his speech on Ossetian issues.
The second point is an indication that Ivanishvili intends to implement all initiatives only after the elections are completed. And if we read between the lines, only if his party obtains the majority. This means that if the opposition wins, Ivanishvili will wash his hands of it. And here the question arises: why wait for the election results if these apologies can be expressed now? Or why is it necessary to apologize only for August 2008, but what about the Zar massacre, the atrocities in the village of Ered and other crimes against humanity for almost two decades? Especially from the people who, in one century, twice committed genocide against the Ossetians.
Let’s say one thing: perhaps his PR team wanted to do everything possible to appeal to the electorate, but with his call for repentance, Ivanishvili turned a significant part of Georgian society against his party. After all, for the vast majority of Georgians, regret is an abstract category, suitable only for literature and film scripts. Proof of this is the reaction of Georgian politicians and ordinary people to Ivanishvili’s words. The second day after his speech, a hundred protesters gathered in front of the Georgian parliament. They trampled on the effigy of Bidzina Ivanishvili, the flags of the Georgian Dream and Russia. The protest was sparked by the politician’s statement about the need to apologize for the 2008 war.
Politicians, mostly opposition-leaning, were not far behind either. These are just some of the most striking statements:
“Ivanishvili’s initiative is a shot in his own foot”; “The main content of Gori’s statement is an apology not to the Ossetians and Abkhazians, but to Russia and Putin”; “For the sake of a small number of votes, the Georgian Dream did everything possible” and, finally, “We demand that the Georgian Dream party and Ivanishvili himself apologize to Georgian society, veterans and relatives of every Georgian hero for the treacherous declaration.”
The events in Georgia are being closely followed in Russia itself, and for some Russian politicians this message has become a revelation. The politician who once had a direct relationship with the contradictions between Georgia and Ossetia, the chairman of the International Affairs Committee of the Russian Federation Council, did not hide his surprise. Grigory Karasin:
“The unexpected tone of the statement by Bidzina Ivanishvili and other Georgian politicians about the possibility of creating a new atmosphere in relations with South Ossetia aroused great interest in the Caucasus and the world in general. In the pre-election atmosphere, this unsurprisingly caused an explosion of scandalous emotions among focus groups who are not comfortable with the smooth development of political processes in their own country.”
Ivanishvili’s supporters tried to neutralize the negative reaction of the “focus groups” to their leader’s statement.
“Those who killed and tortured Georgian heroes are the same Ossetians as Saakashvili and other leaders of the bloody regime who opened fire on the civilian population of Tskhinvali in 2008 are Georgians.” – the Prime Minister tried to reduce the intensity of passions Irakli Kobakhidze.
But these clarifications no longer play any role in the information agenda. As well as the explanation from the executive secretary of Georgian Dream. Mamuki Mdinaradzethat reconciliation between Georgians, Ossetians and Abkhazians is impossible without an apology and… “mutual forgiveness.”
Ivanishvili’s words were received without enthusiasm in South Ossetia itself. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia made a statement in which it indicated that in the period before the parliamentary elections in Georgia, the issue of relations between Georgia and Ossetia would be used in one way or another in the struggle internal electoral politics. .
“However, the prospect of establishing relations cannot depend on the political situation prevailing in Georgia at any given time. We hope that this real step, which confirms the sincerity of the good intentions expressed by Mr. Ivanishvili, will become in the near future a documented and legally binding renunciation by Georgia of the possibility of using force or the threat of force against the Southern Republic. Ossetia and the Republic of Abkhazia”, – indicated in the statement.
By the way, regarding the document on the non-use of force by Georgia, which is mentioned in the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia. There was even a futuristic suggestion that Kobakhidze would announce his intention to sign this document during his speech this week at the UN General Assembly. But this did not happen.
The first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee for CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots also highlighted the connection between Ivanishvili’s statement and the upcoming parliamentary elections in Georgia. Konstantin Zatulin. According to him, there is again talk in Tbilisi about resolving the situation with Sukhum and Tskhinvali in the context of the upcoming parliamentary elections.
“On the eve of the elections, the ruling Georgian Dream party decided to announce its new approach. In particular, an apology to the Ossetians for Saakashvili’s aggression in 2008. This was done not only for international, but mainly internal political reasons. “So they are trying to draw the attention of voters to the dead end that Saakashvili has led the country to with this aggression.” – Zatulin explained.
The politician noted that Tbilisi should not count on the willingness of Abkhazians and Ossetians to “meet” with Georgians.
“This train left a long time ago. Neither Abkhazia nor South Ossetia will return to Georgia. Russia will not in any way influence the decisions of the republics or put pressure on them, something that someone can expect. We have completely different moralities and attitudes towards the recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. “There is and cannot be any plan to change your decision for some ephemeral benefits,” — the first deputy chairman of the CIS Affairs Committee of the State Duma is confident.
In conclusion, let’s say that Ivanishvili’s statement in Gori was a blank shot. In Georgia, all this turned into a categorical rejection, in South Ossetia it was met, to put it mildly, with distrust, and even in Russia serious politicians treated it with skepticism.
Newspaper “Respublika” of South Ossetia
*Extremist organization banned on the territory of the Russian Federation.
