@WorldBank & @ADB_HQ are partnering to support development of our client countries, including those in #SouthCaucasus & #CentralAsia. In our meeting in #Samarkand, #Uzbekistan, we discussed joint strategies to help them progress in their development journey. pic.twitter.com/wyiMDHqAg0
— Antonella Bassani (@anbassani) September 30, 2024
Month: September 2024
On September 27, a conference commemorating the 100th anniversary of the 1924 anti-Soviet national uprising in Georgia was held at the Victims of Communism Memorial Museum in Washington, DC. The event was organized by the Georgian Association in the U.S. in collaboration with the Soviet Past Research Laboratory (Sovlab) and Harvard University’s Georgia Studies Program.
Speakers included Sovlab members Irakli Khvadagiani and Giorgi Kandelaki, Harvard University professor Stephen Jones, and head of the Memory Research Center of Ilia State University and Harvard University Fulbright researcher Malkhaz Toria, who discussed the uprising’s historical context, the Soviet occupation’s impact on Georgia, and lessons relevant to current global politics. The conference also examined how Russia uses Soviet-era history in disinformation campaigns and the challenges of memory politics today.
Sovlab’s project manager Giorgi Kandelaki stated: “For years, the Russian Federation and its allies in Georgia have pushed a strategic objective of cultivating an anti-western, ethno-religious, kind of folklore strait of nationalism or nativism in which the western civilization is a threat and the so-called Russian world is a salvation. In this long-term and, one has to admit, a rather successful project, the memory of the Soviet Union and that of Joseph Stalin is kind of a strategic axis.”
“At the same time, that effort, which aims to confuse the Georgian public bets heavily on the fact that the memory on events such as the 1924 anti-soviet national uprising are either fragmented or completely erased from collective memory by decades of Soviet totalitarianism,” Kandelaki commented, noting that “while western counter disinformation efforts have focused on debunking Russian lies, reconstruction of memory of the Soviet Union must be made a key focus of that agenda simply because it is an issue of existential significance for the Kremlin. It must have been done long ago, but it is better late than never.”
Speaking about the project Irakli Khvadagiani, SovLab’s researcher said: “When political memory is dismembered and distorted the society is disoriented. Today, we can already reconstruct accurately what was happening after the Soviet Russian occupation of Georgia, how did the society fight and what was the scale of resistance before loosing freedom.”
An exhibition was held in parallel, honoring 12 members of Georgia’s first democratically-elected Parliament, executed by the Soviet regime during the uprising. Attendees included representatives from the U.S. State Department, the Georgian-American community, and notable figures such as CNN journalist Jill Dougherty, historian David Satter, and former US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan.
The event concluded with a musical tribute to the fall of Sokhumi and the war in Ukraine, with part of the proceeds going to the Veterans Charitable Foundation.
Also Read:
- 28/09/2024 – “Before Bucha was Abkhazia” Screened at French National Assembly
- 20/01/2024 – Speaker Lashes out at Tolerance Center, SovLab, CSOs, USAID Over Stalin’s Image in Church
- 17/01/2024 – SovLab Says Government Hinders Access to Soviet Archives
- 30/07/2023 – In Photos: Remembering the Victims of Soviet Regime
Elections for Georgian emigrants
Judge Salome Samkharadze of the Tbilisi City Court denied the lawsuit filed by the coalition “Unity — National Movement” regarding the opening of additional polling stations for Georgian citizens abroad.
In addition to the NDP (National Democratic Party), the court is also reviewing lawsuits from the non-governmental organization “Fair Elections” (ISFED) and former judge Beso Alavidze.
The plaintiffs are demanding the opening of additional polling stations in Spain, specifically in Arnedo and Valencia, in France — in Strasbourg, and in Italy — in Ostuni.
According to Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, 91 percent of voters will be able to vote electronically in the parliamentary elections in October 2024. He also noted that the Georgian government plans to invite an international mission to observe the parliamentary elections.
Comment
One of the leaders of “Unity – National Movement,” Tamar Kordzaia, stated that all branches of power are taking “incredible actions” to prevent emigrants from exercising their right to vote on October 26.
“Today, in this building, in the Tbilisi City Court, it was once again confirmed that all branches of power are carrying out the orders of Bidzina Ivanishvili. Today, here in Hall 28, Judge Salome Samkharadze, who is a former assistant to Musuridze [one of the representatives of the so-called ‘judicial clan’ sanctioned by the U.S.] and was appointed to a lifetime position precisely for this reason, made a decision to deprive our emigrants of their right to vote. She did not overturn the decision of the CEC (Central Election Commission).
Yesterday, at the court hearing, the plaintiff’s side was physically prevented from entering the courtroom until I forced my way in. This all confirms that all branches of power are taking incredible actions to prevent the citizens of Georgia from making and defending their choice, but this is temporary. On October 26, no matter how difficult it is, they will definitely make their choice,” said Kordzaia.
One of the main challenges for emigrants participating in elections is the lack of polling stations abroad. A large number of voters have to travel hundreds, and in some cases even thousands, of kilometers to express their civic position. This entails significant time and financial costs for Georgians living abroad, which many often cannot afford.
This is confirmed by the voter turnout among emigrants in the 2020 parliamentary elections. According to the Central Election Commission (CEC), the total number of voters living abroad was 66,217, of which only 18.5 percent cast their votes.
The Central Election Commission calculates the total number of voters abroad based on Georgian citizens registered with consulates and those who register to vote 19 days before the elections. However, according to various sources, the number of emigrants significantly exceeds these figures.
Although there is no exact data on how many Georgian citizens live outside the country, according to the UN, up to 852,000 people were in emigration in 2019. Since 2020, the number of emigrants has been increasing annually.
On September 30, the Tbilisi City Court ruled inadmissible all three appeals against the Central Election Commission’s decision to open only a limited number of polling stations abroad, despite requests from emigrants to open more in certain cities.
The appeals were all considered independently. The initiators were the United National Movement, represented before the Court by Tamar Kordzaia, the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED), and former judge Beso Alavidze. All three appeals asked the court to overturn the CEC’s decree stating that no additional precincts would be opened for the elections and urged it to open more precincts, particularly in Spain, Italy, France and the U.S.
“The [Court’s] rulings question the principles of elections such as universality and equality…” said ISFED lawyer Rati Tinikashvili, adding that the organization plans to appeal against the Court’s decision to the Appeals Court.
The opposition member of the CEC, Ana Kobakhidze, stated that the decision of the CEC and the court ruling deprived 90% of immigrants of the right to vote. She said that following the court’s decision there is no legal way to solve this issue anymore and that they will push for a meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to get an explanation as to why more polling stations cannot be opened abroad. She said MFA should provide information on whether the available polling stations will be up to standards to accommodate the emigrants who will have to travel for hours to vote, and whether they won’t have to stand in long lines and feel uncomfortable.
The UNM representative to the court, Tamar Kordzaia, stressed that this decision proves that all branches of the current government are involved in “fulfilling Bidzina Ivanishvili’s task”. She notes that Judge Salome Samkharadze, who deprived emigrants of their voting right, is directly linked to the most prominent representative of the “judicial clan,” U.S.-sanctioned Judge Levan Murusidze, and was appointed as a judge for life only for that reason.
“At the court session yesterday, they didn’t physically allow me – the plaintiff – to enter the hall until I entered by force. So everything confirms that all branches of the government are doing incredible things so that the citizens of Georgia won’t be able to make their choice, protect it, but this is very temporary. They will definitely end October 26 very roughly,” Kordzaia says.
Also Read:
- 29/03/2024 – President Criticizes MFA for Declining to Streamline Emigrant Voting
- 01/03/2024 – EECMD Urges Speedy Discussion of Draft Law to Streamline Emigrants’ Voting
- 17/01/2024 – CEC 2024 Action Plan Criticized for Ignoring Emigrant Vote
- 20/12/2023 – CEC Reacts to “Ballot box in your city” Campaign
- 28/11/2023 – Politicians Want to Bring More Georgians Abroad to Ballot Boxes in 2024
