ON THE RESULTS OF THE SPECIAL PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS IN GEORGIA
Abstract
The 5 January 2008 snap poll was the first ever truly competitive presidential election in Georgia. The incumbent, Mikhail Saakashvili, just managed to retain his seat, narrowly avoiding a run-off with the main opposition candidate, Levan Gachechiladze. According to the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) of Georgia, and the exit polls commissioned by government-controlled television companies, Saakashvili received between 50.8 and 54 percent of votes, while Gachechiladze stayed below 30 percent.
local and international observers have noted numerous irregularities, but overall, they have endorsed the elections as democratic. Opposition parties, however, have been less than convinced in fairness of the results as they have insisted that the current outcome is, indeed, a result of the noted irregularities.
The snap presidential poll is a step forward for Georgian democracy, with credible opposition now emerging in the country. Both Saakashvili and the main opposition camps have made some gains. The main set-back for democracy was the suppression of Imedi TV, the only nongovernment controlled nationwide television channel. The January 2008 poll was the culmination of a very tense stand-off between the government and the opposition, which started in September 2007 with shocking revelations from a former defense minister Okruashvili. The stand-off reached its climax on 7 November 2007, when the special forces of the Ministry of Interior brutally dispersed a mass
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Program “Droeba,” Imedi TV, available at [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkoxqlRJ7Po].
Temur Alasania is also rumored to be a former KGB officer, and a go-between Saakashvili and Putin. Okruashvili alleged that Alasania was detained and charged with the extortion of US$200,000.
See: “What Does Okruashvili Intend?” Resonansi, 27 September, 2007 (in Georgian).
Talk show “Ghia eteri,” Imedi TV, available at [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1VD80aIRNw&feature= re-lated].
A video-recording of Okruashvili recanting his previous statements was broadcast by Mze TV, available at [http://
ww.youtube.com/watch?v=y58B3DoSAcE].
According to a government version, the bail was posted by Okruashvili’s associates; however, Okruashvili himself denied the knowledge of the people who posted the bail alleging that they were, in fact, Saakashvili’s friends.
Tbilisi is the first known case in the world of a police force employing LRAD against protesters. The device may well damage hearing of people if they are too close to the cannon, and if the equipment is used without care and indiscrim-inately.
The rally break-up in photos is available at [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7pR8rLZaqg]. Imedi TV footage showing injured citizens is available at [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWYixsepkck&feature=related].
According to Imedi TV, the police attacked and injured more than 30 of its journalists, editors, camera people, and technical personnel—available at [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncp-De9ziO8&feature=related].
Imedi TV footage showing police violence is available at [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2ANkc4Zetk]
There is a dramatic footage available on YouTube.com showing the final minutes of live broadcast from Imedi TV news studio, as the special forces storm the newsroom and the screen goes black (see, for instance: [http://www.youtube.com/
atch?v=v17XLl1VVPE]).
It is interesting to note that Patarkatsishvili was almost simultaneously charged by Georgian authorities and a Moscow court in Russia (see: “Moscow Court Orders Patarkatsishvili’s Arrest,” Resonansi, 10 October, 2007, in Georgian).
“Statement of Preliminary Findings and Conclusions,” International Election Observation Mission: Georgia—
xtraordinary Presidential Election, 5 January, 2008, Civil.Ge, available at [http://www.civil.ge/files/files/
SCEinterimfindings.pdf].
See: “‘No Mass Falsification’—Chief OSCE Observer,” Civil.Ge, available at [http://www.civil.ge/eng_/
rticle.php?id=16837].
“NATO on Georgia’s Elections,” Civil.Ge, available at [http://www.civil.ge/eng_/article.php?id=16838].
“EU Foreign Policy Chief on Georgia’s Elections,” Civil.Ge, available at [http://www.civil.ge/eng_/
rticle.php?id=16821].
“‘Respect Election Results’—EU Tells Political Parties,” Civil.Ge, available at [http://www.civil.ge/eng_/
rticle.php?id=16823].
“U.S. State Department on Georgian Election,” Civil.Ge, available at [http://www.civil.ge/eng_/
rticle.php?id=16824].
There was an American Congressperson observing the elections, who also issued a very positive assessment.
“CoE Secretary General on Georgia’s Elections,” Civil.Ge, available at [http://www.civil.ge/eng_/
rticle.php?id=16827].
“Estonian, Lithuanian Observers Hail Polls as Democratic,” Civil.Ge, available at [http://www.civil.ge/eng_/
rticle.php?id=16805].
See: “Gamkrelidze Calls for Run-Off, ‘Surprised’ with International Response,” Civil.Ge, available at [http://
ww.civil.ge/eng_/article.php?id=16836].
See: “‘No Mass Falsification’—Chief OSCE Observer.”
Mr. Maisashvili is a former Enron Risk Analysis Department Chief, who resigned in protest from the former U.S.
nergy giant prior to its collapse. After returning to Georgia, Maisashvili was briefly allied with Saakashvili and worked as his economic adviser.
See: “Maisashvili ‘Concedes Victory’ to Gachechildze, Civil.Ge, available at [http://www.civil.ge/eng_/
rticle.php?id=16794].
The interim level administration collects the results from the local precincts and transmits them to the central ad-ministration.
The merry-go-round practice, observed in almost all Georgian elections, consists of organized supporters of a can-didate voting in several polling stations.
Summaries of violations and descriptions of evidence, which are quite extensive, are available in several reports on [www.civil.ge] website; more specifically, see: “Opposition Alleges ‘Fraud’ in Vote Summary Process,” 8 January, 2008,Civil.Ge, available at [http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=16825].
“Several Foreign Observing Organizations Evaluate Elections as Undemocratic,” Prime News, 8 January, 2008,available at [http://eng.primenewsonline.com/news/121/ARTICLE/18032/2008-01-08.html].
Interviews in Tbilisi, July 2005.
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