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AT PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS IN GEORGIA, THE VOTES OF THE ARMENIAN COMMUNITY WILL SPLIT
October 17 2013
The head of the Assembly of Tbilisi Armenians Arnold Stepanian thinks
that it is the first time that there will be no big difference between
the votes of presidential candidates. Presidential elections in Georgia
will be held on October 27. The Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili is
confident that Giorgi Margvelashvili representing the ruling party
"Georgian Dream" does not have a real opponent. Still a month ago,
according to the social surveys, Margvelashvilii's rating was over
50 percent. A persistent struggle was going on for the second place
between President Mikheil Saakashvili's fellow, former speaker of
parliament David Bakradze and Nino Burjanadze, who was also a speaker
of parliament in 2001-2008, before Bakradze. Aravot asked the head
of the Assembly of Tbilisi Armenians, Chairman of "Multinational
Georgia" civil movement Arnold Stepanian civic movement to describe
the pre-election situation in Georgia, and the campaign held by main
candidate regarding the issues of ethnic minorities. Our interlocutor
said that three parties are paying attention to this issue and are
working with ethnic minorities: Bidzina Ivanishvili's "Georgian Dream",
Mikheil Saakashvili's "United National Movement" and Nino Burjanadze's
"Democratic Movement". He noted that it is the first time that all
three main parties visited the places where ethnic minorities are
inhabited, and not the pocket opposition, in other words, the main
competitors value the issue of ethnic minorities, and a free atmosphere
is established in the campaign for their participation. In response to
our question whether Georgia's Armenian community has already decided
in favor of which presidential candidate to vote, Arnold Stepanian
said that it is hard to give a definite answer. "The parties are not
so actively disseminating their platform in the regions in Armenian
language, especially in Javakheti. And in Tbilisi, in my opinion,
the votes of the Armenian community will split, because about 60
percent of Tbilisi Armenians are led by social problems, they are
less interested in the platforms of the candidates regarding the
ethnic minorities. The other part will vote in favor of the "Georgian
Dream", another part in favor of Burjanadze. In other words, each of
the three political parties have their supporters among the Armenian
electorates. It is too early to speak about percentage ratio, but I
think that there will not be huge differences between the numbers of
votes. There is more interesting situation in Javakheti. In order to
enjoy the trust of the population, here, in addition to social issues,
the candidates should pay attention to the national-cultural issues.
To this respect, both, the authorities and the opposition conduct
actions." Arnold Stepanian predicts that it is the first time that
there will be no big difference between the votes of presidential
candidates. At the press conference, on October 15, N. Burjanadze
stated that she knows how to regulate the relations with Russia, and
she has that much will to do it. We asked Arnold Stepanian whether
the dynamics of positive changes in Russian-Georgian relations will
be continued as a result of the upcoming elections, our interlocutor
first of all reminded that the complications in Russian-Georgian
relations are so deep that it was not possible to regulate them in
a few months, if there are no serious compromises. "No one of the
parties is ready for seriously compromises, currently the processes of
approaching each other, and examining the attitudes as to which side
and how much is ready to concede are underway. On the other hand,
the RF is putting forward a variety of topics, which will enable to
enter into a "trade" in the future: the opening of a Russian market
for Georgian goods, which is a constant subject of blackmail. Thus,
the parties are getting ready for the "trade", and review of attitudes,
and I think that the position of the Russian side in that "trade" is
stronger than of the Georgian side." Our interlocutor did not agree
that essentially nothing has been done in the process of regulation of
Russian-Georgian relations. In his opinion, the fact that the RF is
opening a market for Georgian goods, is quite remarkable fact first
and foremost for the farmers, the presence of Russian tourists is
important for the economy of Georgia, and the fact that they spend
enough money in Georgia. "But, anyway, the price is very expensive,
our territories are still occupied, and displacement of columns
takes place in those territories on daily base, along the whole
borderline, in the villages. This is understandable, because now,
it's not about the war. Here, Burjanadze's statement was remarkable
that she is ready to regulate the Russian-Georgian relations. But
if she was able to solve it, I think, she could have done some moves
before the elections. And if she can solve, there would be stimulus
from the Russian side, if she is the candidate who can do it, while
there was no response from the Russian side. So, I am inclined to
believe that it was a political speculation," said Arnold Stepanian.
Emma GABRIELYAN
Read more at: http://en.aravot.am/2013/10/17/162062/
From: A. Papazian
October 17 2013
The head of the Assembly of Tbilisi Armenians Arnold Stepanian thinks
that it is the first time that there will be no big difference between
the votes of presidential candidates. Presidential elections in Georgia
will be held on October 27. The Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili is
confident that Giorgi Margvelashvili representing the ruling party
"Georgian Dream" does not have a real opponent. Still a month ago,
according to the social surveys, Margvelashvilii's rating was over
50 percent. A persistent struggle was going on for the second place
between President Mikheil Saakashvili's fellow, former speaker of
parliament David Bakradze and Nino Burjanadze, who was also a speaker
of parliament in 2001-2008, before Bakradze. Aravot asked the head
of the Assembly of Tbilisi Armenians, Chairman of "Multinational
Georgia" civil movement Arnold Stepanian civic movement to describe
the pre-election situation in Georgia, and the campaign held by main
candidate regarding the issues of ethnic minorities. Our interlocutor
said that three parties are paying attention to this issue and are
working with ethnic minorities: Bidzina Ivanishvili's "Georgian Dream",
Mikheil Saakashvili's "United National Movement" and Nino Burjanadze's
"Democratic Movement". He noted that it is the first time that all
three main parties visited the places where ethnic minorities are
inhabited, and not the pocket opposition, in other words, the main
competitors value the issue of ethnic minorities, and a free atmosphere
is established in the campaign for their participation. In response to
our question whether Georgia's Armenian community has already decided
in favor of which presidential candidate to vote, Arnold Stepanian
said that it is hard to give a definite answer. "The parties are not
so actively disseminating their platform in the regions in Armenian
language, especially in Javakheti. And in Tbilisi, in my opinion,
the votes of the Armenian community will split, because about 60
percent of Tbilisi Armenians are led by social problems, they are
less interested in the platforms of the candidates regarding the
ethnic minorities. The other part will vote in favor of the "Georgian
Dream", another part in favor of Burjanadze. In other words, each of
the three political parties have their supporters among the Armenian
electorates. It is too early to speak about percentage ratio, but I
think that there will not be huge differences between the numbers of
votes. There is more interesting situation in Javakheti. In order to
enjoy the trust of the population, here, in addition to social issues,
the candidates should pay attention to the national-cultural issues.
To this respect, both, the authorities and the opposition conduct
actions." Arnold Stepanian predicts that it is the first time that
there will be no big difference between the votes of presidential
candidates. At the press conference, on October 15, N. Burjanadze
stated that she knows how to regulate the relations with Russia, and
she has that much will to do it. We asked Arnold Stepanian whether
the dynamics of positive changes in Russian-Georgian relations will
be continued as a result of the upcoming elections, our interlocutor
first of all reminded that the complications in Russian-Georgian
relations are so deep that it was not possible to regulate them in
a few months, if there are no serious compromises. "No one of the
parties is ready for seriously compromises, currently the processes of
approaching each other, and examining the attitudes as to which side
and how much is ready to concede are underway. On the other hand,
the RF is putting forward a variety of topics, which will enable to
enter into a "trade" in the future: the opening of a Russian market
for Georgian goods, which is a constant subject of blackmail. Thus,
the parties are getting ready for the "trade", and review of attitudes,
and I think that the position of the Russian side in that "trade" is
stronger than of the Georgian side." Our interlocutor did not agree
that essentially nothing has been done in the process of regulation of
Russian-Georgian relations. In his opinion, the fact that the RF is
opening a market for Georgian goods, is quite remarkable fact first
and foremost for the farmers, the presence of Russian tourists is
important for the economy of Georgia, and the fact that they spend
enough money in Georgia. "But, anyway, the price is very expensive,
our territories are still occupied, and displacement of columns
takes place in those territories on daily base, along the whole
borderline, in the villages. This is understandable, because now,
it's not about the war. Here, Burjanadze's statement was remarkable
that she is ready to regulate the Russian-Georgian relations. But
if she was able to solve it, I think, she could have done some moves
before the elections. And if she can solve, there would be stimulus
from the Russian side, if she is the candidate who can do it, while
there was no response from the Russian side. So, I am inclined to
believe that it was a political speculation," said Arnold Stepanian.
Emma GABRIELYAN
Read more at: http://en.aravot.am/2013/10/17/162062/
From: A. Papazian