Realists and Dreamers of the Opposition

The Georgian opposition is promising to organize a hot autumn for the authorities. Meanwhile another realignment of forces is starting in its rows. Moreover, the leader of the «Alliance for Georgia» Irakly Alasania who has fallen away from the radicals and represents moderate opposition, declares that the attitude of the authorities has changed, and the country authorities are ready to carry on a real dialog with the opposition.

Alasania has recently come back from Washington, where he held negotiations with some officials. As a result of his visit he organized a press conference in Tbilisi. During this conference Alasania announced that he informed his American partners that starting from 15 June, when the Georgian authorities savagely dispersed the opposition manifestation, a «repression machine started working in the country». He expressed his readiness to discuss modifications in the voting system with the authorities. «Georgia must be ready to fair and free elections, and this has been declared by the USA», said Irakly Alasania.

According to some Georgian mass media, the ex permanent representative of Georgia in the UN, who became an oppositionist at the beginning of this year, is the candidate for presidency that is satisfactory both for the USA and Russia. Some rumours on Alasania leading secret negotiations with the authorities have been heard from time to time.

As a professional diplomat, Irakly Alasania has always kept from strident rhetoric and was the first to come out for a dialog with the authorities. This time he said the following in his interview to the Rezonansi newspaper: «Unfortunately, so far the authorities are continuing their ignoring policy, but I know and I have a sensation that the authorities are inclined to change the policy of ignoring a real dialog». According to Civil.ge., Alasania added: «This has not been noticed at the top level yet. But this exists at the average level and it is important for people to acknowledge there is no other way out».

However, it is not quite clear how and on what issues the authorities will carry on a real dialog with the opposition. It would not be out of place to remember that the meeting of the opposition leaders with Mikhail Nikolaevich took place twice. In May four oppositionists (leader of the «Alliance for Georgia» Irakly Alasania, one of the opposition leaders Levan Gachechiladze, leader of the «Way of Georgia» party Salome Zurabishvili and leader of the «National Forum» party Kakha Shartava) discussed the current issues for more than two hours. As a result they did not agree on anything. The oppositionists returned to their meeting tribunes. After that Mikhail Nikolaevich unexpectedly invited Levan Gachechiladze to speak face-to-face. The result was the same as last time. And on 10 July Levan Gachechiladze announced creating a new opposition movement.

According to Irakly Alasania's logics, the two first rounds of negotiations were not serious, and now it will be just for real? In any case, the number of opposition parties is growing. Alasania himself will hold a presentation of its own party "Our Georgia" this very week. At the same time he remains leader of the «Alliance for Georgia» that is going to meet new members. Now together with the «team of ex diplomats» of Alasania the alliance includes the party of the «New Right Wing» and the Republican Party. The "National Forum" organization is going to join, too. Some days ago Alasania confirmed this information. According to the Georgian radio station «Kommersant», he said that during the protest events the alliance and the «National Forum» became close partners.

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