In simply mere weeks, the second of reality for Georgia will set issues straight, because the nation fits as much as make its existential selection for the civilized future. The individuals will forged their vote within the historic election that’s set to outline the nation’s destiny for many years to return
On October 26, oligarch Ivanishvili’s “Russian dream” for Georgia may come to its finish.
On the identical time, the daddy of the Georgian dream Mikheil Saakashvili, Putin’s imprisoned nemesis, might lastly stroll free because the opposition prevails within the election. In foreseeable future, in all probability, he’ll run for president, because the laws calls for the brand new president is elected no later than 45 days after the brand new parliament’s meeting; this could be one of the vital outlandish comebacks in trendy historical past. Twenty-one years within the making, this could occur once more.
Certain, in the meanwhile, in early October, such an consequence appears like one thing magical. However the individuals of Georgia imagine on this Georgian miracle. And the individuals need it to turn into a actuality. Based on polls, the Georgians are satisfied the nation must be run by the pro-Western democratic forces, not the proxies of the Kremlin. 71% of the inhabitants believes it’s time for the brand new celebration on the wheel. 62% of the respondents are in favor of the pro-European opposition events’ coalition: Unity, Coalition for Change, Sturdy Georgia, For Georgia, (Gakharia), Georgian Labor Get together, Girchi (Iago Khvichia).
What it means is that Georgia now has a historic likelihood to go away the Russian orbit – the place Ivanishvili and his “Russian Dream” firmly positioned the nation – and kind the democratic, pro-Western authorities.
Latest ballot outcomes are neither a mistake, nor a coincidence. One can see what the Georgian nation actually desires judging by the spring riots in opposition to the “Russian law” (on the overseas brokers).
The nation has a really incredible alternative on their arms, but it surely’s apparent now that Ivanishvili is eyeing the usage of pressure if his plans fail. His celebration’s already threatening to make use of repressive strategies to the opposition post-elections, particularly the ban of United Nationwide Motion and, quoting Ivanishvili, some “Nuremberg trials”.
Principally, Ivanishvili and his goons inform the nation to brace for totalitarianism and the destiny of the Russian colony, with political panorama designed in accordance with the Russian blueprint. His rhetoric about European selection and return of Ossetia – the Georgians are anticipated to apologize to for some motive – is nothing however a mouthful of pre-election verbal manure. Artwork of trickery and deceit. Again in late-June, the EU leaders made it identified that Georgia’s ambition to affix the European Union is on indefinite maintain. The identical applies to NATO – Georgia is a no go. It’s apparent why Ivanishvili wears out this rhetoric: nearly all of the Georgians need to be part of NATO and EU, not Russia and CSTO (Collective Safety Treaty Group). By the tip of 2023, 79% of these polled by NDI and CRRC had been in favor of Georgia becoming a member of the EU, with 67% rooting for his or her nation as a NATO member.
Nonetheless, it’s clear as day that Ivanishvili desires none of that civilized western future for Georgia – neither can’t he ship it. Ought to he lose the elections, all he’s left with is the usage of pressure to try to preserve his chair. The Russian intelligence claims the U.S. intend to meddle with the votes is nothing however the proof it’s the Russians who’re useless set to intrude. Not solely politically, technologically and financially, however with brute pressure.
It’s essential that the opposition, caught on this difficult state of affairs, has the mind energy, sources and the affect to withstand the oppressors, coordinate and manage all of the forward-thinking forces, while successfully cooperating with the West. To start with, we’re speaking about Koba Nakopia, Chairman of the Political Council of the United Nationwide Motion, certainly one of Saakashvili’s closest supporters; this man’s enter in bringing the Georgian opposition collectively doesn’t get sufficient credit score. His loyalty to Mikheil is second to none, too: Nakopia caught by Saakashvili by way of thick and skinny, in the course of the latter’s work in Ukraine, and upon his return to Georgia.
Clearly, one of many key causes behind this political success is the assist of the general public and the enterprise. Additionally, it’s turn into obvious that Georgian entrepreneurs are on the danger of bodily retaliation for supporting the forward-thinking political forces. The incumbent Georgian rulers borrow the worst practices from their Russian handlers.
Nakopia managed not solely safe the return of the important thing politicians to Georgia, however made positive the worldwide companies positioned in Georgia stand behind the ideology of the opposition; among the many most prosperous supporters are Davit Kezerashvili, who made the electoral listing, and Tamaz Somkhishvili. These two businessmen are extra than simply an ATM to fund the operation, however the eloquent and skilled communicators within the nations of curiosity. The important allies of Georgia are the UK, U.S., and Ukraine.
Each Kezerashvili and Somkhishvili maintain British passports and are on good phrases with the officers, particularly in Ukraine since Mikheil Saakashvili’s tenure at Odesa State Regional Administration.
What issues is that each Somkhishvili and Kezerashvili are backed by robust worldwide groups, each in Georgia and elsewhere. Quantity 12 on the UNM’s poll is Ramaz Nikolaishvili, former deputy of Kezerashvili, who was once Georgia’s Minister of Protection; №27 on the identical listing – Zaza Gogava, former Chief of Joint Workers of the Armed Forces.
On the identical time, Davit Kirkitadze, №26, is a well-rounded protégé of Tamaz Somkhishvili. In 2008, Kirkitadze was elected Governor of Kvemo Kartli area, centered in Rustavi that homes the town’s fundamental enterprise, Rusaloy ferroalloys plant – an asset Tamaz Somkhishvili’s connected to. In 2021, Kirkitadze misplaced the Rustavi mayoral elections by a measly 1%, which is a staggering lead to itself, for it’s clear some administrative interference befell.
Each Kezerashvili and Somkhishvili, underneath Koba Nakopia’s coordination, assisted Mikheil Saakashvili when he was governor of Odesa Oblast in Ukraine and backed Mikheil Nikolozovich’s reform efforts underneath the brand new Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. And, maybe due to Mikheil’s assist and pro-Ukrainian stance, each entrepreneurs had been affected by defamatory media campaigns and assaults on their companies in Ukraine. Specifically, Kezerashvili was accused of controlling Milton Group’s Ukrainian name facilities, allegedly engaged in fraud. Although no paper path was ever made public, no legal instances had been opened by both Ukrainian or European legislation enforcement companies, and no fees had been filed.
Much more intensive and more and more absurd was the smearing marketing campaign in opposition to Tamaz Somkhishvili, launched by the corrupt officers of Kyiv metropolis corridor, funded and directed from Moscow. In a nutshell, Somkhishvili, who had beforehand invested round $30m within the metropolis’s infrastructural undertaking, was first robbed after which, as Somkhishvili took to court docket to face his floor, a number of faux articles and rumors had been unfold throughout media, alleging Somkhishvili’s privately owned aerospace producer TAM Administration ties with Russia. All that regardless of the enterprise’s time-tested cooperation with Ukrainian protection business, Ukroboronprom.
Nonetheless, what can actually attest to the biased and fictitious makes an attempt to smear the Georgian businessmen is the straightforward reality they had been by no means placed on the sanctions listing. Each Somkhishvili and Kezerashvili are well-regarded in Kyiv, London, D.C. The British Embassy diplomats current on the court docket hearings in Kyiv is one thing that speaks for itself. Final however not least, these combating for the free, impartial Georgia are all the time welcome on the Workplace of the President of Ukraine.
If we return and check out the state of affairs on the eve of the fateful elections, we are able to’t assist however convey up the long-lasting ties of Tamaz Somkhishvili to the Georgian Orthodox Church. The businessman enjoys a long-standing friendship with the Rector of the Tbilisi Theological Academy and Seminary, Protopresbyter Giorgi Zviadadze. The son of the Protopresbyter, former head of the Affiliation of Small and Medium Enterprises of Georgia and the Innovation Company of Georgia, Giorgi Zviadadze Jr. is at this time the Vice-President of Somkhishvili’s mother or father holding.
The good significance of those bonds will be hardly overestimated, for the reason that authority of the Church in Georgia has traditionally been robust. That’s the reason Ivanishvili, previous to the elections, tried to grab management of the GOC by declaring Orthodoxy the state faith and amending the nation’s structure accordingly. This blatantly unlawful initiative sparked a robust response from the opposition. On August 29, Mikheil Saakashvili stated that Ivanishvili plans to “destroy the only institution that remained outside his full control”, the Georgian Orthodox Church, and to solely appoint and dismiss the patriarch and bishops. On September 1, Giorgi Zviadadze, on behalf of the Patriarchate, handed over to the Georgian Prime Minister the written place of the GOC calling for sustaining the independence of the Church and preserving the present Constitutional Settlement.
The truth that UNM electoral lists embrace such political heavyweights, supported by the Church and worldwide companions, is nothing however a superb signal. Georgia’s mates want to see the nation free from oppression, and are set to again the Georgians of their struggle for independence and sovereignty. On October 26, Georgia will make a momentous resolution. That is, fairly actually, the selection between good and evil, the selection between previous and future. With the clock counting down the hours earlier than the fateful and decisive day for the nation, it’s of important significance that such open communications with worldwide companions prevail.
