Sunday, November 4, 2007

The Opposition Protests In Tbilisi

Well, most of what you read about the protest in Tbilisi is true.

There are huge rallies, people seem to be on the streets for the long haul, and the government doesn't seem to want to budge (the main point seems to be that the opposition wants earlier parliamentary elections). So far everything has been pretty peaceful, but still people seem worried and there none of the euphoria of the Rose Revolution.

What I find distressing is the opposition’s platform (minus a few truly wacky ideas like a monarchy) does not significantly differ from Saakashvili's. What Georgia needs is a moderate politician who is wants to steer the country between East and West, but all the significant players (from what I gather) are as committed to the West (and to annoying Russia) as Saakashvili is. If anyone emerged who was a carbon copy of Saakashvili, but with a different name, he would be in power tomorrow, however what this would change is the significant question

Finally, thought the level of dissatisfaction with Saakashvili is real, we shouldn't forget that the fact that such protests are possible says a great deal about Georgia's democratic credentials.

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