On March 23rd, Georgian national broadcasters disseminated the speech made by President Saakashvili which focused on the commentary made recently by Georgian writer Zaza Burchiladze at the Georgian writers’ anthology in the city of Kutaisi.
The president’s speech raises concerns for those within the Georgian PEN Center, as it is reminiscent of Georgia’s Soviet past where officials routinely regulated the writer’s language; the topics they could discuss and the exchange of ideas in matters related to the process of state-building.
During the Soviet period, for the aims of controlling literary content and socialization, the writers were sent to collective farms, constructions of hydro and electric power stations, military units, fast developing villages and towns and cities in order for them to clearly see and praise the “achievements” of the Soviet state.
The president’s speech delivered on March 23 raises an unpleasant association to the period recalled above. In the 21st century, the Georgian President should not instruct a writer that it is essential to see and value the buildings and constructions.
In a state where the President’s statements have a bigger impact than the state institutions, we are afraid that similar statements may endanger people such as writer Zaza Burchuladze and his colleagues. We hope that in the future, the president will not evaluate, characterize or qualify the writers from the political tribune or insult them from the national broadcasters.
In our opinion the Qronika reportage covered by the TV Company Imedi was biased and provoked the conflict among the writers.
The president’s speech raises concerns for those within the Georgian PEN Center, as it is reminiscent of Georgia’s Soviet past where officials routinely regulated the writer’s language; the topics they could discuss and the exchange of ideas in matters related to the process of state-building.
During the Soviet period, for the aims of controlling literary content and socialization, the writers were sent to collective farms, constructions of hydro and electric power stations, military units, fast developing villages and towns and cities in order for them to clearly see and praise the “achievements” of the Soviet state.
The president’s speech delivered on March 23 raises an unpleasant association to the period recalled above. In the 21st century, the Georgian President should not instruct a writer that it is essential to see and value the buildings and constructions.
In a state where the President’s statements have a bigger impact than the state institutions, we are afraid that similar statements may endanger people such as writer Zaza Burchuladze and his colleagues. We hope that in the future, the president will not evaluate, characterize or qualify the writers from the political tribune or insult them from the national broadcasters.
In our opinion the Qronika reportage covered by the TV Company Imedi was biased and provoked the conflict among the writers.
Georgian PEN Center
March 23rd, 2011.
March 23rd, 2011.
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