The opposition is again insisting on a parliamentary republic

Former prime minister Zurab Nogaideli, leader of the opposition "Movement for a just Georgia", has again proposed restoring a parliamentary republic in the country. According to him, "the era of leaders" in Georgia needs to end.

He declared this at a press conference on 10 February. "With the departure of Saakashvili the era of leaders must come to an end, and instead there should be many leaders. Moreover, the era when decisions are made with one voice, by a single person and his entourage, must come to an end. The time must come for making collective decisions," Nogaideli is quoted as saying by the portal Civil Georgia. According to him, the state should be governed by a coalition cabinet of ministers elected by parliament, and the president should merely serve as an "arbiter".

Just a few days ago, as the newspaper VZGLYAD reports, the former foreign minister Salome Zurabishvili, who is now head of the opposition party "Georgia's Path", expressed this idea. She thinks that it will be possible to establish a coalition government following early presidential and parliamentary elections.

At the same time, the Georgian opposition is threatening President Mikheil Saakashvili with further mass protest actions. Their aim remains the same: to replace the country's leadership. But demands have also emerged to change the political course. According to Zurab Nogaideli, Georgia must not turn down integrating into NATO, but at the same time it also needs to enter into talks with Russia, without any preconditions or prior ultimatums.

The aforementioned leader of the "Georgia's Path" party said the same thing in an interview with the TV station "Kavkasia": "If they come to power, the opposition politicians will have to find ways of normalizing relations with Russia, but so that it doesn't act unacceptably towards Georgia".

Georgia's former ambassador to the UN Irakli Alasania, who is considered the main candidate for the presidential post, called a few days ago for normalizing relations with their northern neighbour. The Georgian media reports that literally in a few days he will announce that he is joining the "Right" - "Republican" alliance (these are two heavyweight parties which have managed to unite). So all that remains for the numerous disparate opposition parties to do now is decide upon a leader and a state structure. The party of power, the "United National Movement", is in favour of a presidential system. Most opposition parties are lobbying for the idea of a parliamentary republic.

Now, as if we are in a fantasy film about a time machine, the situation that existed just before November 2007 is repeating itself in Georgia.

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