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Protest demonstrations in Georgia's Akhalkalaki region fight for power
- opinions
TERT.AM
12:00 - 16.02.13
The rallies taking place in Georgia's mainly Armenian-populated region
of Akhalkalak is a fight for power, chairman of the Multinational
Georgia NGO Arnold Stepanian said, speaking to Tert.am.
`It is just a demonstration. Melik Raisian, [one of the leaders in
Georgian Dream coalition] punished during Saakashvili's government,
returned today and naturally, he wants to clean the region from the
previous heads while the latter do not want to go having a majority in
the local council,' Stepanyan said, adding that Raisian cannot take
these votes from them and has to wait until 2014 elections.
He said currently the leadership of Akhalkalak's county administration
comes up as former team of the Georgian president or new supporters of
PM Bidzina Ivanishvili.
According to Southern Gates website, the municipal bodies of
Akhalkalak conducted a protest rally in response to the February 11
demonstration conducted by the Georgian Dream.
Some 1,000 people were reported to have gathered near the Akhalkalak
county administration building with Armenian, Georgian flags and
posters.
`The goal of the protest rally was to call on the people not to panic
and be consolidated in their actions,' the website reported. Georgia's
parliament MP Samvel Petrosian, chairman of the Akhalkalaki council
Hamlet Movsisian and others presented their viewpoints to the
gathered.
At the end of the rally the participants adopted a statement calling
to do everything for maintaining stable situation in the region,
staying back of provocations as unconstructive forces have come up
there trying to deteriorate the situation.
On February 11 a protest rally was conducted in front of the same
building by Georgian Dream coalition members demanding resignations of
President Saakashvili, MPs elected from Akhalkalak and Ninotsminda
regions Samvel Petrosian, Henzel Mkoian, chairmen of Akhalkalaki
county council and administration Hamlet Movsisian and Nairi
Shirinian.
Melik Raisian, Georgian Dream coalition representative, addressing the
present said they came there to give them a one-week time to resign.
Arnold Stepanian said the both parties are fighting for power in the
region using the issues of the Armenian community.
`It will be more right to say that they want to become associates to
preserve the region's administration,' the NGO's chairman said, adding
that many would like to use the situation and did not exclude that
currently the issues of the Armenian community will be heard more
radically. `It first of all is beneficial for Saakashvili's political
force to show that the new authorities are not able to solve the
issues the Armenian community is facing and during this government as
well the ethnic minorities in Georgia still face problems,' Stepanyan
said.
He said the third goal is to gather just Georgians' votes, realizing
that the ones of the Armenians have already been lost.
In this respect Stepanyan said the Georgian president is openly
voicing nationalistic statements, and recently, speaking about
activist Vahagn Chakhalyan, Saakashvili stated that the activist
confronted the Georgian police, violated the order in the Georgian
jail.
Vahe Sargsyan, expert from Mitk think tank dealing with Javakhq
issues, said the change of power in Georgia has not spread in the
regions as well and in Samtskhe-Javakhq in particular.
`The majority of eastern regions of the province are the
representatives of Bidzina Ivanishvili's force while the central
authorities in Akhalkalak do not seem to hurry to make staff changes,'
Sargsyan said.
He said the Georgian PM's political force this time cooperated with
Saakashvili's fierce defender, MP Hamlet Mkoian who left his former
teammates still in October and found ways to join the winner force.
The expert said the chairmen of Akhalkalaki county administration and
council seem to want to act in the same way.
Chairman of Shirak patriotic union, Armenian MP Shirak Torosyan said
the participation of the Armenians from both parties is not bad and
there are objective prerequisites for it the first one being entrance
of opposition to Javakhq during the previous parliamentary elections.
`Javakhq is Georgia's part and the outlined political fight there
during the previous parliamentary elections demonstrated it quite
well. While previously, the important political processes like
elections did not turn into a political process there as the ruling
authorities were `ensuring' 100% result through their local
representatives,' the MP said.
The second objective reason, according to Torosyan, is that `the
processes ongoing in Tbilisi are being projected in the regions.' `And
if today Tbilisi demands Saakashvili's resignation the same demand is
addressed to the municipal bodies formed during his power,' Torosyan
concluded.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
- opinions
TERT.AM
12:00 - 16.02.13
The rallies taking place in Georgia's mainly Armenian-populated region
of Akhalkalak is a fight for power, chairman of the Multinational
Georgia NGO Arnold Stepanian said, speaking to Tert.am.
`It is just a demonstration. Melik Raisian, [one of the leaders in
Georgian Dream coalition] punished during Saakashvili's government,
returned today and naturally, he wants to clean the region from the
previous heads while the latter do not want to go having a majority in
the local council,' Stepanyan said, adding that Raisian cannot take
these votes from them and has to wait until 2014 elections.
He said currently the leadership of Akhalkalak's county administration
comes up as former team of the Georgian president or new supporters of
PM Bidzina Ivanishvili.
According to Southern Gates website, the municipal bodies of
Akhalkalak conducted a protest rally in response to the February 11
demonstration conducted by the Georgian Dream.
Some 1,000 people were reported to have gathered near the Akhalkalak
county administration building with Armenian, Georgian flags and
posters.
`The goal of the protest rally was to call on the people not to panic
and be consolidated in their actions,' the website reported. Georgia's
parliament MP Samvel Petrosian, chairman of the Akhalkalaki council
Hamlet Movsisian and others presented their viewpoints to the
gathered.
At the end of the rally the participants adopted a statement calling
to do everything for maintaining stable situation in the region,
staying back of provocations as unconstructive forces have come up
there trying to deteriorate the situation.
On February 11 a protest rally was conducted in front of the same
building by Georgian Dream coalition members demanding resignations of
President Saakashvili, MPs elected from Akhalkalak and Ninotsminda
regions Samvel Petrosian, Henzel Mkoian, chairmen of Akhalkalaki
county council and administration Hamlet Movsisian and Nairi
Shirinian.
Melik Raisian, Georgian Dream coalition representative, addressing the
present said they came there to give them a one-week time to resign.
Arnold Stepanian said the both parties are fighting for power in the
region using the issues of the Armenian community.
`It will be more right to say that they want to become associates to
preserve the region's administration,' the NGO's chairman said, adding
that many would like to use the situation and did not exclude that
currently the issues of the Armenian community will be heard more
radically. `It first of all is beneficial for Saakashvili's political
force to show that the new authorities are not able to solve the
issues the Armenian community is facing and during this government as
well the ethnic minorities in Georgia still face problems,' Stepanyan
said.
He said the third goal is to gather just Georgians' votes, realizing
that the ones of the Armenians have already been lost.
In this respect Stepanyan said the Georgian president is openly
voicing nationalistic statements, and recently, speaking about
activist Vahagn Chakhalyan, Saakashvili stated that the activist
confronted the Georgian police, violated the order in the Georgian
jail.
Vahe Sargsyan, expert from Mitk think tank dealing with Javakhq
issues, said the change of power in Georgia has not spread in the
regions as well and in Samtskhe-Javakhq in particular.
`The majority of eastern regions of the province are the
representatives of Bidzina Ivanishvili's force while the central
authorities in Akhalkalak do not seem to hurry to make staff changes,'
Sargsyan said.
He said the Georgian PM's political force this time cooperated with
Saakashvili's fierce defender, MP Hamlet Mkoian who left his former
teammates still in October and found ways to join the winner force.
The expert said the chairmen of Akhalkalaki county administration and
council seem to want to act in the same way.
Chairman of Shirak patriotic union, Armenian MP Shirak Torosyan said
the participation of the Armenians from both parties is not bad and
there are objective prerequisites for it the first one being entrance
of opposition to Javakhq during the previous parliamentary elections.
`Javakhq is Georgia's part and the outlined political fight there
during the previous parliamentary elections demonstrated it quite
well. While previously, the important political processes like
elections did not turn into a political process there as the ruling
authorities were `ensuring' 100% result through their local
representatives,' the MP said.
The second objective reason, according to Torosyan, is that `the
processes ongoing in Tbilisi are being projected in the regions.' `And
if today Tbilisi demands Saakashvili's resignation the same demand is
addressed to the municipal bodies formed during his power,' Torosyan
concluded.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress