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Tuesday,
August 7,
2007, #149 (1416) Georgians have become prone to protesting. When the government impinges on the interests of a few, they have little recourse other than taking to the streets with gusto. Protests under the Rose administration, however, rarely achieve anything beyond token concessions. Instead, their greatest utility is for a political opposition which eagerly hops on the backs of aggrieved citizens for a free ride to publicity. There's a new cause every week: the demolition of the apartment building on Tabukashvili Street, the closure of the Sport Academy, the sale and closure of the Dezertirebis market. Each of those decisions could be justified, but the authorities didn't bother to do it. Instead, they keep residents, students and merchants in the dark until the last minute. Whether that's due to arrogance or incompetence or both, voters generally feel the government ignores people who lose out in reforms. But the government isn't worried. Protests now are local, ad hoc affairs. Demonstrators are the people directly affected-few came out to express solidarity with evicted Tabukashvili residents when they blockaded Rustaveli Avenue a few weeks ago. Half the crowd was journalists and bemused bystanders. There were, at least, people watching. And that's why some opposition parties are so keen to attach themselves to each and every cause. Shut out of elected office, megaphones are a tool to remind the country that they do, in fact, exist. Most visible is the Labor Party. The cast also includes Jondi Baghaturia's Georgian Troupe and Koba Davitashvili's People's Party. By now, the stage directions are routine. Politicians will join protestors in front of the market/building/academy then march the crowd to parliament/the Chancellery/Rustaveli. They do get press. And helping out the average citizen is not a poor campaign method. The ruling party has shored up their base by fixing broken windows and handing out bottled water to thirsty pensioners. But the fragmented opposition brings mainly noise, and few results, to the beneficiaries of their attention. The administration's reaction is proportional to the number of protestors. Certainly, this is a government which appreciates the power of mass protest. But while protests continue to be meager productions with little organization, authorities will continue to ride roughshod as they go about their business. As Labor Party member Nestan Kirtadze says, "It's not that the ruling party is strong, but that society is weak. And so the authorities do whatever they want to do." There is plenty for Georgians to be dissatisfied about, and the election system offers little chance for change next year. Disaffection is channeled into non-violent protest-which is encouraging, given some of the alternatives. But will demonstrations, sporadic and isolated as they are, force real political change? Not now. Other
than offering a media platform for the struggling opposition, demonstrators
this summer will only shout themselves hoarse to deaf administration
ears. But who can campaign in the summer? The city is quiet. When autumn
comes, and elections inch forward, the government's hearing may perk
up. |
Will
social protests stir political waters?