Press Digest 08.10.2014

First Recognition then Reconciliation, says official Sukhumi

The rating of the opposition does not grow despite the fact that the rating of the government has ratcheted down – Gigi Tevzadze

50 percent of our people are either staunch adherents of our Government or are neutrally disposed to it – Zurab Bigvava***

First Recognition then Reconciliation, says official Sukhumi

“Georgia views reconciliation as Abkhazia’s readiness to join it. Doing this does not fall in the Abkhazians’ plans though.” With this statement Irakli Khintiba, Deputy Foreign Minister of the De-facto Republic of Abkhazia responded to PM Gharibashvili’s announcement. On a TV program of one of the Russian Companies, Mr. Khintiba claims that Georgia must recognize independence of Abkhazia if it wants to cultivate relations with the Abkhazian authorities. “It is not the first time the Government of Georgia has appealed to us with such melancholic and melodramatic statements regarding love and friendship. In reference to this issue, I want to quote President Khajimba, in his words the Georgian side must undoubtedly recognize Abkhazia as a sovereign state. Only on this occasion, will we be able to establish normal relations that should be between two settled independent and equal states”- announces Mr. Khintiba. 

"As per him, against this backdrop, when Georgia strives towards NATO and when nothing one earth can make it veer from the taken path, for the Republic of Abkhazia broadening defense relations with Russia is of truly paramount significance. “In order to safeguard our security, we need to reinforce the Georgian-Abkhazian border. The Georgians don’t even have the slightest idea that our administrative border is on Enguri. We need to fortify this border to guarantee safety to the locals as some threats from Georgia are still felt,” maintains Mr. Khantiba.

“Prior to Khintiba’s announcement, De-facto President of Georgia’s breakaway enclave, Raul Khajimba, declared that reinforcing the border is a must in the present state of play. In order to do this, they need to reduce the number of checkpoints near Enguri. This initiation from the De-facto leader was immediately responded to by Head of Georgia’s Government, Irakli Gharibashvili”- says the article.

As per the Premier, similar steps will definitely not help them to conciliate the issue by harmonizing their relations.” We actually are moved by a strong desire to strike a conciliatory tone and launch a process of reconciliation with our Abkhazian and Ossetian brothers. The developments of the last two decades can be defined as our tragedy. I don’t think that a recently raised initiation from Abkhazia’s De-facto Government can be seen as rational bcause this initiation will even more worsen our citizen’s conditions on-the-ground. We are completely open to a dialogue, and we are strongly determined to pace up the process of reconciliation as well as to restore trust between the Abkhazians and the Georgians, between the Georgians and Ossetians”- announced Mr. Gharibashvili and added that the Georgian Government is geared up to provide the residents of Georgia’s breakaway regions with humanitarian support and assistance. In the Minister’s words, it is not accidental that near the piding line, a multi-functional hospital, where the Abkhazians will enjoy the opportunity to undergo free treatment, is being built. In addition, according to Irakli Gharibashvili, they are also constructing a multi-functional trade complex in order to provide the people with simplified traveling opportunities, to restore trust between them and develop trade, cultural and social relations.

“We don’t really have a chip on our shoulder, on the contrary, we have responded to their initiation with measures beneficial for them. However, I have to emphasize that their initiation will not assist us to shift towards reconciliation and launch this process”- declared the Georgian Prime Minister.

“As member of the parliamentary majority, Gia Volski claims, those at the helm of Georgia do not really expect the Abkhazian authorities to make any serious political decision regarding the status of Georgia’s separatist region. According to him, the two Governments have failed to build up a compromise regarding this immensely vulnerable issue and shake hands on a deal satisfactory to both of them. However, because of their inaptitude to reach a compromise, the people’s rights must not be breached. “The people who live side by side must enjoy an opportunity of developing their relations and drawing positive changes in their and their families’ lives. It’s true that politics is important but it’s also an irrefutable fact the people’s rights are also important. They must not indulge in ignoring their people’s rights. They’d better deflect their gaze from politics for a while and look at their own people for a second”- contends Mr. Volsk.

The rating of the opposition does not grow despite the fact that the rating of the government has ratcheted down – Gigi Tevzadze

"The Government’s rating has naturally ratcheted down. Nothing is striking regarding this fact though. It’s an absolutely normal phenomenon in a normal civilized world – time passes, the people’s mindset changes and even a leading power having enjoyed a landslide victory in the elections gradually loses the people’s affection and benevolence. However, pinning down the causes of this lowered rating is of utmost importance for the leading team”- reports the Rezonansi gazette.

“For the last few years, I have not done any research to find out how high is this or that party’s rating. The organizations that have taken up this responsibility are more or less reliable. Anyway, they have adequately evaluated the existing situation”- states Gigi Tevzadze.

“Why the Government, as a rule, turns out inapt to maintain its high rating is rather difficult to say. Generally, the people’s attitude towards them changes and, unfortunately, it is not, as a rule, changing for the better. No matter what kind of a power takes up the reigns of the country, trust towards them incrementally fades away anyway. However, causes for this must be figured out and one of the prime objectives of political sociology is precisely this”- announces the respondent.

“The journalists as well as the representatives of the left-wing party stand for the idea that the Government has failed to deliver the goods and, in the wake of this, the people’s trust in them has naturally faded away. However, research bolstering up this opinion has not been put on the table so far”- says Mr. Tevzadze.

“As for the ratings of the opposition, in my mind, no changes have been detected in this direction. Their ratings have frozen. Anyway, if we believe the past research, this is really so. Despite the fact that the Government’s rating has fallen, the rating of the left-wing party has not gone up”- concludes the respondent.

50 percent of our people are either staunch adherents of our Government or are neutrally disposed to it – Zurab Bigvava

"The people’s trust in the Government has not increased. Though, it has not substantially decreased. Around 50 percent of our people are either staunch supporters of our Government or are neutrally disposed to it. Anyway, these people don’t really side with the opposition”- announces the founder of the Research-Consulting Centre “Psycho Project”, Zurab Bigvava, in his interview with the Rezonansi gazette.

“The number of the Nationals’ advocates has not really grown. Critical statements towards the Government aired live are seemingly connected with the left-wing parties. However, their rating remains the same anyway and you know, this is an immensely interesting phenomenon. No matter how poor Eka Beselia’s English is and how skillfully Giorgi Kandelaki takes her to task, this will change absolutely nothing for the National Movement”- maintains Mr. Bigvava.

"Social conditions always affect the people’s mood and mindset. This in fact is a core indicator of the people’s mindset. At first sight, crime rate in our country has increased – the people rob and kill each other every single day. Many of them commit suicide… However, such issues are acute only for a specific group within our society rather than as a whole. The same can be said regarding the restoration of justice too,” states the respondent.

“Social conditions in which they have to live is the most acute issue for more than 80 percent of our people. They want the Government to create jobs, improve their social conditions via different social packages like a Universal Healthcare Program. The vast majority of our people cannot hide their satisfaction because of the fact that the Government has implemented the aforementioned program. Thanks to it, people will not die because of the fact that they cannot afford the doctor’s services…”- concludes Mr. Bigvava.