Government Limits Power of Opposition

Government Limits Power of Opposition

Georgian government presented the draft on election of Tbilisi local government and the mayor, which caused negative reaction of Opposition. According to the new draft, existing proportional election system must change into “winner gets all” process. On June 22, some members of Parliament from Opposition party protestingly left the parliamentary session of the regional policy and self-governing.

They think that the draft doesn’t have any administration meaning and it is a clear political document that has no common with governing of the city. This fact was confirmed once again when the president appointed Gigi Ugulava, the ex-head of presidential administration, as the Tbilisi Mayor.

According to the above mentioned draft, each political party can name three or two candidates as member of local government in each election district. Only those three parties having majority of voices would be able to lead out of candidates in local government. The local government completed by this rule chooses the Mayor.  As the members of National Movement party said, this kind of elections is recommended by Council of Europe. This rule gives the possibility for consolidation of political parties, because in order to get the influence in local government the small parties have to unite.

The opposition demands to elect the mayor directly. On June 16 the Opposition party presented the statement on getting agreement of gathering 200 thousand signatures for holding referendum in the Central Election Commission. Though the Opposition suspects that government will try to extend the process in case of holding a referendum.

The proposed version - Local government chooses the Mayor, is the step forward the democratic principals, but as the government is afraid of Opposition coming as the head of local government, the majority of local government is composed with the members of Governing party. So they proposes absolutely inadequate and indecent majority system. The Government does unacceptable things which abolish the main principles of democracy, such as checks and balances and makes the impression of authoritarian regime in the society.

As the expert Paata Zakareishvili states– “It is the continuation of politics which limits and doesn’t let the Opposition to be in the government. The main balance of politics is that the Opposition power must have ability to breathe, to prove to the society that they have some power. That’s why when Saakashvili won in local government elections, it was a quite normal thing and he proved to the society that he can become the governor.” Paata Zakareishvili said that the behavior of the government come after revolution is unjustified – “The behavior like this doesn’t suit any law or politics. At first sight, our society is active and flexible, but, unfortunately, it doesn’t react on the elections, the question of state doesn’t bother them. The Government knows the society’s position well and uses it for its interest as Shevardnadze did. Wonderful example of rejecting of democratic principles can be the appointment of Gigi Ugulava as the Mayor of Tbilisi.  It is pure political post. By the appointment of Ugulava as the Mayor, Saakishvili proved that it doesn’t matter for him who will be on the post of the mayor. The main thing is that he is a political figure and no one else could hold this post. For the conclusion, this document is political and has no connection with the people.”

                                                                    Keti Kuratashvili