Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Saakashvili Launches Maidan To Topple Georgia Govt

But finds himself short of allies probably indicative of a lack of EU and US enthusiasm for his project
Tens of thousands marched - to no avail
The signing of the treaty had been postponed due to the much-discussed 10-day disappearance of Russian President Vladimir Putin, which prompted speculation that Putin might be "too busy to annex South Ossetia," but on the one year anniversary of the "annexation" of Crimea, the Russian leader eventually found the time to "annex" South Ossetia. Although Tibilov stressed that joining Russia is currently not on the agenda, Georgian and Western officials made a fuss about the treaty and the Georgian oppositionused the opportunity to accuse the Georgian authorities again of being too weak. Former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili and his minions have repeatedly criticized the "inaction" of the "pro-Russian" government in Tbilisi despite all evidence to the contrary. In Kiev, Saakashvili can now act out his dreams of fighting another war against evil Russia. And while he is waiting for U.S. weapons and fantasizing about an imminent Russian invasion, Saakashvili is plotting his return to Georgia. Inspired by the Maidan coup, the former Georgian leader and his party decided to exploit the currency crisis in Georgia in order to launch their own little Maidan:
Thousands in Georgia march call for government to step down
Tens of thousands of Georgians joined a protest rally Saturday in the ex-Soviet republic's capital Tbilisi to demand the government's resignation, claimed it has mishandled the battered economy.
Protesters packed Tbilisi's central Freedom Square after being called onto the streets by exiled former president Mikheil Saakashvili's United National Movement (UNM), before marching towards the State Chancellery building, the seat of government.
Saakashvili addressed the rally by video link from Brussels as the cheering crowd chanted his name.
"We are united by our shared task to liberate Georgia from the government which destroys our country," Saakashvili said in an emotional address.
Just as was the case in Ukraine, the organizers of the "Georgian Maidan" spared no expense to bring protesters to the capital but it appears that Saakashvili's UNM won't be able to repeat the "success" of the Euromaidan. For one, Saakashvili and his party face a lot of opposition in Georgia. As soon as the UNM announced its plans to rally in Tbilisi, activists of Georgia's ruling party took to the streets attacking the local office of the UNM in the western city of Zugdidi and on Saturday, there were again counter-protests. But the key reason why Saakashvili's Maidan is doomed to fail is that the U.S. and the EU don't support his plans. Washington and Brussels have no reason to topple the Georgian government - for now. Despite the lack of Western support, the UNM vowed to hold more protests until the government resigns. Furthermore, Saakashvili's party wants to initiate a no-confidence vote against the government. To this end, the UNM needs the support of Irakli Alasania's Free Democrats:
FD not to Join UNM’s Calls for Launch of No-Confidence Vote Against Govt
Irakli Alasania, leader of opposition Free Democrats, said his party, which holds eight seats in the Parliament, will not join UNM parliamentary minority group’s initiative to launch no-confidence vote against the government.
“Ivanishvili and Saakashvili need each other for scaring people with each other. Georgia’s future needs none of them. Georgia needs development and not the return in Saakashvili’s past,” Alasania said. “Those people who rallied [at UNM-organized anti-government demonstration on March 21] were expressing general spirit in Georgia that [government’s] inaction caused backsliding. Soon we will present our plan of economic development and we will have our agenda in the parliament and we will not support their [UNM’s] initiative in this particular case.”
Alasania, Georgia’s ex-defense minister, made remarks while speaking with Georgian journalists in Brussels, where he met NATO Deputy Secretary General, Alexander Vershbow.
Apart from Kiev, Brussels is apparently the place to be for former Georgian officials. Considering that Alasania is the darling of Washington and Brussels, his refusal to team up with Saakashvili clearly indicates that the U.S. and the EU have other ideas than Saakashvili. The former Georgian president should have asked his friends in Brussels what they think of his plans when he addressed the crowd in Tbilisi from the Belgian capital. Perhaps the success of the Maidan has gone to Saakashvili's head. Thanks to his friends in the West, Saakashvili is free to fuel the conflict with Russia and to plot toppling democratically elected governments instead of sitting behind bars but his crimes have not been forgotten and it is doubtful that he can return to his home country anytime soon. The Georgian authorities make sure that even young pupils learn everything about "Saakashvili's bloody regime" and Tbilisi has not given up on prosecuting the former president as well as his associates:
Georgia modifies charges against five ex-officials including Saakashvili
The Georgian Prosecutor General’s Office on Saturday modified the charges against five former high officials, including ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili.
In Saakashvili’s and former Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili’s cases, the charges were clarified, but when it comes to former Justice Minister Zurab Adeishvili, former Defense Minister Davit Kezerashvili, and former Tbilisi Mayor Gigi Ugulava, the charges were made more serious.

http://russia-insider.com/en/2015/03/24/4880 

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