21.02.2011 | Civil.ge | Link zur Quelle | Bilder | Video |
"Die nächsten Wahlen 2012/13 seien für die Reife der Demokratie in Georgien äußerst wichtig"
# 'Next elections crucial';
# 'Georgia is a better place now';
# 'Ruling party’s overwhelming dominance';
# Georgia’s regional role;
# Needs for 'qualitative change' in Russo-Georgian ties;
# On term 'occupied' – 'labeling not the most important'
Next elections, including parliamentary in 2012 and presidential in 2013, would be “crucial for the maturity of the Georgian democracy,” Peter Semneby, an outgoing EU’s Special Representative for South Caucasus, said on February 22 in Tbilisi.
“It is very important that the electoral legislature is agreed well beforehand [so] that it does not become part of the electoral campaign itself. Georgia needs to establish clear and stable rules of the game for the political competition between the parties,” Semneby said.
It was the Swedish diplomat’s last visit to Georgia in his capacity of the EU’s Special Representative, as his mandate on the post, which he held since 2006, expires on February 28.
The fate of the post is unclear yet as the discussions about the mandate of Special Representatives were still underway within EU, he said. “There certainly [will] be a gap before this discussion is concluded,” Semneby said.
Semneby, whose tenure coincided with Georgia’s several domestic political crises and the August war, said that it had been “a very challenging period” for Georgia.
“But I think Georgia is a better place now for many reasons, than it was in the beginning of my term in this job and not least thanks to the new stage that we have entered in relations between Georgia and the European Union with the start of negotiations on Association Agreement,” he said.
“I very strongly hope Georgia will take these negotiations [on Association Agreement] seriously and Georgia will approach these negotiations with diligence that they deserve, because it is in a close relations with EU that Georgia can find the best guarantees that are available for its sovereignty and security,” Semneby said.
Semneby, who acted for number of times as a facilitator between the Georgian authorities and the opposition during the internal political tensions, involving series of mass street protests in 2007-2009, said that those events “had ultimately healthy influence on the political discourse in general in Georgia.”
“They demonstrated by balancing on the brink, on many occasions, what limits are on the use of force as means in politics and I think Georgia is much healthier place after these events were successfully dealt with,” he said.
'Overwhelming Dominance of Ruling Party'
Semneby said that overwhelming dominance of the ruling National Movement Party in government branches was putting on the authorities a large degree of responsibility.
“The current governing party also needs to consider how it uses the overwhelming domination that it has at the moment – with the constitutional majority in the Parliament and control of all municipal councils in the country – in a responsible way in order to provide the oxygen for alternative political voices to be heard,” he said.
Asked to elaborate further on the issue, Semneby said that he was only making an observation that there was “quite an extraordinary situation” in Georgia with one political force being “in a very, very, exceptionally strong position” and “it puts a large degree of responsibility on the political force that has this kind of dominance.”
Georgia’s Regional Role and Russia
Semneby said that Georgia in many ways achieved progress that “goes beyond what has been achieved by other countries in the region.”
“It’s important to consider that for its international partners Georgia is important in regional context, not just by itself and Georgia therefore needs to make its own contribution to stability in this region,” he said.
“This also includes relations with Russia where we need to find way - Georgia’s partners are willing and I think able to help here – to do more in terms of improving those relations without compromising on existential positions, but nevertheless there needs to be a qualitative change in these relationships.”
“Realistically speaking it will take time to address all the conflict-related issues and in the meantime it will be necessary and important to improve and develop relations between Georgia and Russia even with such fundamental differences remaining,” Semneby said.
He said that apart of human aspect and restoring contacts between Russia and Georgia on “personal level”, there were “lots of practical issues” that needed to be dealt, including the one related to trade.
“If there is development of Georgian-Russian relations in a broader sense it may – I say ‘may’, it’s not absolutely certain that it would be the case – also improve conditions for resolving very difficult political issues that still remain between the two countries,” he said.
Abkhazia, S.Ossetia
Semneby, who has been involved in developing EU’s “engagement without recognition” approach towards Georgia’s breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, said that EU had “much more extensive and much more intensive” interaction with Sokhumi, than with Tskhinvali.
He said he had extensive discussions both in Tbilisi and Sokhumi about where the greatest opportunities for engagement were and “I would say that the area of healthcare would provide important opportunities for further engagement.”
Semneby said that many of the aspects of Tbilisi’s approach were mirroring those of the EU.
“We have welcomed many of the initiatives taken by the Georgian government and in particular the Action Plan” for Engagement, Semneby said referring to a document which was approved by the Georgian government in July, 2010 and which lays out steps for implementing goals outlined in Tbilisi’s Strategy on Occupied Territories.
“We believe it [the Action Plan for Engagement] contains very many interesting intentions that clearly mirror priorities and views of the European Union… We are obviously ready to make a contribution to supporting those parts of Georgian plan that are in line with our own policies and convictions,” Semneby said.
He said that Georgia needed international partners in order to facilitate reconciliation. “Georgia also needs to trust its international partners in this endeavor,” Semneby added.
Asked about his shunning away from using term “occupied territories” in reference to Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Semneby said: “Labeling here is not the most important issue.”
“The fact is that we have conflict situation that needs to be dealt with in such a way that we ensure that certain objectives are fulfilled. We should focus on tasks here to rebuild contacts across the confrontation lines, we should address the humanitarian issues, security-related issues including fulfillment of the agreements that entered in August and September 2008,” he said.
Stichworte: Georgien, Abchasien, Süd-Ossetien, Russland Sprache: englisch, Archiv: #
In der Regierungserklärung bestimmt Präsident Saakashvili 2015 als neues Ziel zur Vollendung verschiedener Aufgaben
12.02.2011 | Civil.ge | Link zur Quelle | Bilder | Video |
President Saakashvili has set 2015 as a new target date for accomplishment of various tasks, which he laid out in his annual state of the nation address in the Parliament on February 11.
Among the targets listed by Saakashvili in his speech, which, he said, should be achieved by 2015 were: doubling agriculture production; doubling export; doubling state budget; halving current level of unemployment; 50% increase of average salaries; population growth to 5 million; increase of annual number of foreign visitors to 5 million; building of 17 new hydro power plants.
“You have probably noticed that while speaking about various issues I have numerously mentioned the year 2015,” said Saakashvili, who previously was often mentioning 2013 as a target date for accomplishment of his major tasks.
Saakashvili, whose second and final presidential term expires in 2013, said that 2015 was defined based on “long-term plan of Georgia’s development” and it had nothing to do “either with the election dates or political careers of separate individuals or the term in office of the sitting Parliament”, which expires in 2012.
“Instead it [the target date - 2015] matches with what is important for the country. People should know where we are going; our course will definitely continue,” Saakashvili said. He said for number of times in the past that he wanted “a team of reformers” to stay in power after his presidential term expires.
“Everything what we are talking about will be started in 2012-2013... Everything will be accomplished in 2015.”
“Therefore, 2015 will be the year of summarizing the first results of this plan. Our plan is based on the capabilities of Georgia, as well as on the existing dynamics of the course of reforms, real human and material resources and ongoing projects. The plan of Georgia’s development covers all the major sectors of economy and all major spheres of state activities,” Saakashvili said.
‘Modernization’
Saakashvili described his 70-minute long address as “a report about modernization.”
“Modernization will be one of the major results and tasks of the government’s and personally of my entire career,” Saakashvili said.
“For some people modernization may be a mere word, but for us it means transforming Georgia from a post-Soviet country into European democratic state, which will be the fastest growing country in Europe.”
“Modernization means to ensure that our citizen is more educated, more competitive, has modern knowledge and feels himself as a Georgian patriot, but simultaneously as a citizen of the world, a free person, for whom all opportunities are open, who do not suffer from an inferiority complex; low self-esteem and inferiority – these are what enabled the empire to try to subdue Georgia. As soon as we finally get rid of this inferiority complex, nobody will ever be able to enslave us again. And this is very important.”
“Modernization means reforms which have been implemented and will be implemented by the state and which will lead us to more civilized and democratic state. It means changes and innovations, which will pave the way towards more open and modern society – the society, which will not retire into its own shell, which does not have any phobias, which is multi-ethnic and multi-confessional, wherein each community is an integral part of the Georgian nation; the society, which aspires to the future instead of weeping for the past, which consists of free people with free thinking and free rule of life.”
Modernization means Georgia of such mentality, where politicians and society will be united like a fist to defend the interests of the country even if there are great ideological and political differences among them. Georgia, where criminal mentality will never return, where ethnic and regional divisions will never return, where corruption will never gain its foothold means Georgia, where the liberty of an individual is the cornerstone of the country and which will gain a worthy place in the international system as a sovereign, united and very successful state and not a single empire will ever be able to question its existence.”
“We will spare no efforts in the struggle for Georgia’s modernization… We will overcome all the obstacles and all the difficulties because we will be moving only forward, we will bring our struggle to the end and we will definitely win,” Saakashvili said.
Foreign Policy
On foreign policy issues Saakashvili said that Georgia achieved “significant diplomatic success last year”, because the term “occupation” in reference of Abkhazia and South Ossetia was establishing on the international arena.
“Today there is no longer a question mark about on whose side the international community is,” he said. “The entire world sees who is aggressor and who is in favor of the peace.”
On Russia he said that Georgia “wants a dialogue” with Moscow, “but we will never tolerate disintegration and occupation of Georgia.”
“The Russian leadership’s course has no future,” he said. “The idea of empire is still alive, but it has no future.”
He also said that “imperialistic thinking is waning” and added: “We are nearing the period when the imperialistic thinking will be faded away.”
“But I want to say, that we should be careful, so that to escape being a victim of the empire’s agony,” Saakashvili said.
He also said that Georgia’s course towards EU and NATO integration remained “unwavering” and attempts by Russia to isolate Georgia had “failed”. “We will never give up the choice of the Georgian people in favor of the Euro-Atlantic integration,” Saakashvili said.
For some other key points from Saakashvili's address see:
GEL 150 mln Extra Funding Planned for Agriculture
Gov’t Plans 'GEL 30 Food Coupons'
Saakashvili Aims Free Trade Treaty with EU by 2015
Debates
After the address Saakashvili listened to rebuttal speeches by parliamentary minority lawmakers and remarks by the ruling party MPs. Before start of his address, Saakashvili asked the foreign diplomats accredited in Tbilisi, and present in the Parliament chamber, to stay and attend the debates as well.
After the debates, which lasted for about four hours, Saakashvili thanked diplomats, remaining in the chamber for “patience” saying that the debates “demonstrated how far the Georgian democracy has gone”.
MP Giorgi Targamadze, leader of Christian-Democratic Movement and of parliamentary minority group, said in his rebuttal speech told the President to foster improvement of the electoral environment otherwise warned that Saakashvili would face, as he put it, “Mubarakization”. MP Targamadze was referring to Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak, who resigned on February 11 after 18 days of mass protest.
MP Targamadze slammed the President for creating “genetically modified media” and “semi-manufactured judiciary”. He also said that President was at top of “corruption pyramid” and added that removing a section of presidential orders from his official website was part of the authorities’ attempts to hide information about where public money was spent.
For couple of times President Saakashvili intervened in opposition lawmakers’ speeches; in one such case he interrupted MP Levan Vepkhvadze of the Christian-Democratic Movement when the latter was criticizing the government for entering in “unprofitable” five-year gas deal with Azerbaijan in 2008, claiming that Georgia had a chance to buy gas for a better price from Azerbaijan under the Shah-Deniz gas pipeline deal. When saying this, Saakashvili pressed MP Vepkhvadze to name any European country which was buying gas for lower price than Georgia. When the MP responded that European countries were receiving expensive gas because they were buying it from Russia, Saakashvili smiled sarcastically.
A lawmaker from the ruling party, Giorgi Gabashvili, said in his remarks that there were two types of opposition in Georgia – “insane and incompetent.” “You are among incompetents,” MP Gabashvili told lawmakers from the Christian-Democratic Movement.
‘Elite Corruption’
When MP Guram Chakhvadze of National-Democratic Party, part of the parliamentary minority group, criticized the government for “elite corruption”, Saakashvili asked him that “the political elite is now here… name who is corrupt”. PM Nika Gilauri and several ministers were also present in the chamber apart of lawmakers. MP Chakhvadze responded that he did not mean the President or ministers when speaking about elite corruption. He said that the Freedom House was also using this term – elite corruption in reference to Georgia and added that he was meaning those mid-level officials who had been arrested on corruption charges in Georgia.
“Someone, somewhere is bullshitting – it does not matter; we live in this country and everyone knows everything about everyone… The Georgian political elite is very clean… This is the major achievement of our state,” Saakashvili said.
MP Chakhvadze then backed off and said: “Let’s put it this way – a mid-level elite corruption.”
According to the U.S. Department of State’s 2009 human rights report, although levels of petty corruption fell in Georgia, concerns remained about high-level and "elite corruption."
Stichworte: Georgien, Abchasien, Süd-Ossetien, Russland, Sprache: englisch, Archiv: #
President Saakashvili has set 2015 as a new target date for accomplishment of various tasks, which he laid out in his annual state of the nation address in the Parliament on February 11.
Among the targets listed by Saakashvili in his speech, which, he said, should be achieved by 2015 were: doubling agriculture production; doubling export; doubling state budget; halving current level of unemployment; 50% increase of average salaries; population growth to 5 million; increase of annual number of foreign visitors to 5 million; building of 17 new hydro power plants.
“You have probably noticed that while speaking about various issues I have numerously mentioned the year 2015,” said Saakashvili, who previously was often mentioning 2013 as a target date for accomplishment of his major tasks.
Saakashvili, whose second and final presidential term expires in 2013, said that 2015 was defined based on “long-term plan of Georgia’s development” and it had nothing to do “either with the election dates or political careers of separate individuals or the term in office of the sitting Parliament”, which expires in 2012.
“Instead it [the target date - 2015] matches with what is important for the country. People should know where we are going; our course will definitely continue,” Saakashvili said. He said for number of times in the past that he wanted “a team of reformers” to stay in power after his presidential term expires.
“Everything what we are talking about will be started in 2012-2013... Everything will be accomplished in 2015.”
“Therefore, 2015 will be the year of summarizing the first results of this plan. Our plan is based on the capabilities of Georgia, as well as on the existing dynamics of the course of reforms, real human and material resources and ongoing projects. The plan of Georgia’s development covers all the major sectors of economy and all major spheres of state activities,” Saakashvili said.
‘Modernization’
Saakashvili described his 70-minute long address as “a report about modernization.”
“Modernization will be one of the major results and tasks of the government’s and personally of my entire career,” Saakashvili said.
“For some people modernization may be a mere word, but for us it means transforming Georgia from a post-Soviet country into European democratic state, which will be the fastest growing country in Europe.”
“Modernization means to ensure that our citizen is more educated, more competitive, has modern knowledge and feels himself as a Georgian patriot, but simultaneously as a citizen of the world, a free person, for whom all opportunities are open, who do not suffer from an inferiority complex; low self-esteem and inferiority – these are what enabled the empire to try to subdue Georgia. As soon as we finally get rid of this inferiority complex, nobody will ever be able to enslave us again. And this is very important.”
“Modernization means reforms which have been implemented and will be implemented by the state and which will lead us to more civilized and democratic state. It means changes and innovations, which will pave the way towards more open and modern society – the society, which will not retire into its own shell, which does not have any phobias, which is multi-ethnic and multi-confessional, wherein each community is an integral part of the Georgian nation; the society, which aspires to the future instead of weeping for the past, which consists of free people with free thinking and free rule of life.”
Modernization means Georgia of such mentality, where politicians and society will be united like a fist to defend the interests of the country even if there are great ideological and political differences among them. Georgia, where criminal mentality will never return, where ethnic and regional divisions will never return, where corruption will never gain its foothold means Georgia, where the liberty of an individual is the cornerstone of the country and which will gain a worthy place in the international system as a sovereign, united and very successful state and not a single empire will ever be able to question its existence.”
“We will spare no efforts in the struggle for Georgia’s modernization… We will overcome all the obstacles and all the difficulties because we will be moving only forward, we will bring our struggle to the end and we will definitely win,” Saakashvili said.
Foreign Policy
On foreign policy issues Saakashvili said that Georgia achieved “significant diplomatic success last year”, because the term “occupation” in reference of Abkhazia and South Ossetia was establishing on the international arena.
“Today there is no longer a question mark about on whose side the international community is,” he said. “The entire world sees who is aggressor and who is in favor of the peace.”
On Russia he said that Georgia “wants a dialogue” with Moscow, “but we will never tolerate disintegration and occupation of Georgia.”
“The Russian leadership’s course has no future,” he said. “The idea of empire is still alive, but it has no future.”
He also said that “imperialistic thinking is waning” and added: “We are nearing the period when the imperialistic thinking will be faded away.”
“But I want to say, that we should be careful, so that to escape being a victim of the empire’s agony,” Saakashvili said.
He also said that Georgia’s course towards EU and NATO integration remained “unwavering” and attempts by Russia to isolate Georgia had “failed”. “We will never give up the choice of the Georgian people in favor of the Euro-Atlantic integration,” Saakashvili said.
For some other key points from Saakashvili's address see:
GEL 150 mln Extra Funding Planned for Agriculture
Gov’t Plans 'GEL 30 Food Coupons'
Saakashvili Aims Free Trade Treaty with EU by 2015
Debates
After the address Saakashvili listened to rebuttal speeches by parliamentary minority lawmakers and remarks by the ruling party MPs. Before start of his address, Saakashvili asked the foreign diplomats accredited in Tbilisi, and present in the Parliament chamber, to stay and attend the debates as well.
After the debates, which lasted for about four hours, Saakashvili thanked diplomats, remaining in the chamber for “patience” saying that the debates “demonstrated how far the Georgian democracy has gone”.
MP Giorgi Targamadze, leader of Christian-Democratic Movement and of parliamentary minority group, said in his rebuttal speech told the President to foster improvement of the electoral environment otherwise warned that Saakashvili would face, as he put it, “Mubarakization”. MP Targamadze was referring to Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak, who resigned on February 11 after 18 days of mass protest.
MP Targamadze slammed the President for creating “genetically modified media” and “semi-manufactured judiciary”. He also said that President was at top of “corruption pyramid” and added that removing a section of presidential orders from his official website was part of the authorities’ attempts to hide information about where public money was spent.
For couple of times President Saakashvili intervened in opposition lawmakers’ speeches; in one such case he interrupted MP Levan Vepkhvadze of the Christian-Democratic Movement when the latter was criticizing the government for entering in “unprofitable” five-year gas deal with Azerbaijan in 2008, claiming that Georgia had a chance to buy gas for a better price from Azerbaijan under the Shah-Deniz gas pipeline deal. When saying this, Saakashvili pressed MP Vepkhvadze to name any European country which was buying gas for lower price than Georgia. When the MP responded that European countries were receiving expensive gas because they were buying it from Russia, Saakashvili smiled sarcastically.
A lawmaker from the ruling party, Giorgi Gabashvili, said in his remarks that there were two types of opposition in Georgia – “insane and incompetent.” “You are among incompetents,” MP Gabashvili told lawmakers from the Christian-Democratic Movement.
‘Elite Corruption’
When MP Guram Chakhvadze of National-Democratic Party, part of the parliamentary minority group, criticized the government for “elite corruption”, Saakashvili asked him that “the political elite is now here… name who is corrupt”. PM Nika Gilauri and several ministers were also present in the chamber apart of lawmakers. MP Chakhvadze responded that he did not mean the President or ministers when speaking about elite corruption. He said that the Freedom House was also using this term – elite corruption in reference to Georgia and added that he was meaning those mid-level officials who had been arrested on corruption charges in Georgia.
“Someone, somewhere is bullshitting – it does not matter; we live in this country and everyone knows everything about everyone… The Georgian political elite is very clean… This is the major achievement of our state,” Saakashvili said.
MP Chakhvadze then backed off and said: “Let’s put it this way – a mid-level elite corruption.”
According to the U.S. Department of State’s 2009 human rights report, although levels of petty corruption fell in Georgia, concerns remained about high-level and "elite corruption."
Stichworte: Georgien, Abchasien, Süd-Ossetien, Russland, Sprache: englisch, Archiv: #
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