SAAKASHVILI’S LATEST ADDRESS COULD SET WORRYING PRECEDENT
The Messenger, Georgia
Sept 4 2006
The road to a democratic, rule of law based state is a bumpy one,
and Georgia’s roads have more than their fair share of potholes anyway.
However on August 31 President Saakashvili announced that Georgia
would be temporarily taking an unscheduled right hand turn.
In a speech broadcast live from a vineyard in Kakheti, Saakashvili
announced that "for the first and last time" the government "will
exert a bit of light racketeering" on Georgian businesses. Speaking
to some of the country’s leading business figures he asked them to
each buy at least ten tons of grapes, in order to help Kakheti’s
farmers out of the problem of lack of demand for their produce,
brought about by Russia’s continued embargo on Georgian wine.
Saakashvili is of course right when he says the wine ban is a
politically motivated tactic which aims to discredit the government
and sow social unrest in Georgia. However, by strong-arming businesses
in this way, and dressing it up in ill-conceived patriotic colours,
he is causing far more harm than good.
One of the priorities of the Saakashvili administration has been to
re-brand Georgia, to present it as a transparent business climate,
where property is respected and the state does not interfere with
private enterprise. It is to the government’s credit that they have
largely been successful in this, and have received good marks from
various international bodies. Forcing private business to buy grapes
has put a large question mark over the government’s commitment to
these principles.
Saakashvili said in no uncertain terms that "we should not make our
enemies [meaning Russia] happy…We should not let our enemies see
our wine-growers protesting," and though undoubtedly many in Russia’s
political establishment would rub their hands in glee at the sight of
grape farmers on the streets in Tbilisi, equally important for the
government is that potential opposition voters don’t get swayed by
these possible protests in the run-up to the October 5 local elections.
Although Russia is very far from a reliable or helpful neighbour,
it surely doesn’t help matters to dismiss the idea of holding
negotiations. Saakashvili, however, thinks "there is no reason to have
talks with a predator." By playing the Russia card so vigorously,
Saakashvili is attempting to instil a kind of ‘Blitz spirit’,
which is understandable; more worryingly though, he is playing a
with-us-or-against-us game, and thereby playing with fire.
In suggesting that the closure of the Zemo-Larsi customs checkpoint is
an attempt by Russia to encourage Armenia to "jointly plot against
Georgia" he runs the risk of inflaming ethnic tensions-exactly
what some in Russia would love to see-especially in the volatile
Samtskhe-Javakheti region of southern Georgia, where the desperately
poor Armenian population are already alienated and isolated from
Georgian society.
However, the most worrying part of the address was when the president
accused the opposition, and the media which disseminate opposition
statements as being "allies of Russia."
"Parties that say that the Georgian government has closed the Russian
market to Georgian peasants are allies of Russia…as are media sources
that disseminate this information. Those media sources that will
start propagating the idea that there is a problem with the harvest
because the government made mistakes, will be [Russia’s allies],"
said Saakashvili, as quoted by online news source civil.ge.
This attempt to portray the opposition as traitors is especially
worrying in light of the much discussed possible law on ‘political
extremism’ which, according to some ruling party MPs, would outlaw
statements and protests that could be deemed as against state
interests. Although it was not the Georgian government’s fault that
the Russian market was closed, it does not make one an ally of Russia
to point out that mistakes have been made which probably made it
harder for Georgia to re-enter that market. Defence Minister Irakli
Okruashvili’s now infamous statement that "even faeces will sell in
Russia" is one such mistake.
The government should not be afraid of criticism, or that criticism
being reported by the media. Diverting from the path of free debate
can only harm Georgia. Also, the government should realise that, by
forcing businesses to help it out of a temporary crisis it is only
creating problems for itself down the road.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
