Step backward for democracy

 

 

While the West and Russia flex muscles, Eastern Europe is increasingly turning into the chessboard where the two plan to fight it out once and for all. Georgia got into the grip of its most serious crisis since the 2003 ‘Rose Revolution’ last week, as the president declared a 15-day state of emergency when security units forcibly dispersed protesters outside parliament with teargas and took an opposition TV station off air. At least 500 people were treated in hospital after riot police fired gas and water cannon on crowds calling for the resignation of President Mikhail Saakashvili, in a sudden escalation after six days of protests.

The crisis was triggered after Georgia’s former defence minister, Irakli Okruashvili, accused Mr Saakashvili of corruption and of plotting to murder a prominent businessman. Analysts reckon that the protests were symbolic of a growing disillusionment with Mr Saakashvili, who despite reforms has left much of the population frustrated. Critics also accuse him of authoritarianism.

Saakashvili rose to power with peaceful protests in 2003 and has cast himself as a darling of Washington and the most democratic ruler in the Caucasus. He has also provided troops to the American-led war in Iraq. Meanwhile, relations between Georgia and its neighbour, Russia, sank to a new low as Georgia blamed Russian intelligence services for coordinating elements of the demonstration, and expelled three Russian diplomats. Nevertheless, analysts, too, questioned whether Moscow was fomenting unrest.

“This is hogwash,” said Alexei Malashenko, senior expert with the Carnegie Moscow Centre, while talking to TSI. “Russia has neither levers nor opportunities to influence the situation. Saakashvili is blaming Russia in an effort to lure the United States into throwing its support behind him in the escalating standoff. Any tangible interference by Russia would prompt the opposition to abandon its efforts to challenge Saakashvili and rally behind him to counter the threat from Russia,” he warned.

Meanwhile, senior US diplomats have arrived in Georgia to push President Mikheil Saakashvili to lift the state of emergency.