Political Stalemate continues
While a second round of negotiations between the opposition and the ruling party is not yet in the air, the extra-parliamentary opposition has taken time-out for regrouping, and certain new coalitions look likely to form. Whether the opposition will come with an alternative, positive action plan or vision after regrouping remains to be seen.
The extra-parliamentary opposition regrouping will be possibly finalized by the coming August, the latest.
Davit Bakradze, the parliamentary chairman, declared on June 3 that a commission on constitutional reform would be composed of dozens of representatives from five sectors. Mr. Bakradze, who met with Avtandil Demetrashvili, slated to become the commission chairman after it is formally set up, emphasized that it had been agreed that the commission would involve one representative from each political party willing to join the commission; a group of experts and academicians; representatives from Tbilisi-based Abkhaz government and a provisional administration of South Ossetia, as well as from Adjara Autonomous Republic; representatives from the state institutions, including the President's office and the Parliament; and representatives of non-governmental sector. A 25- person list of experts and academicians, who are expected to take PivotX » New Entrya seat in the commission, was also unveiled on June 3. Avtandil Demetrashvili stated after the meeting in which lawmakers from the parliamentary minority also participated, that he was in favor of a two-chamber parliament in the new constitutional model; separation of the president from the government with the role of "an arbiter."
The Christian-Democratic Movement, a leading party in the parliamentary minority group, offered that the commission should table a draft of the constitution no later than December 31, 2009. Ex-PM Zurab Nogaideli's party, Movement for Fair Georgia, underlined it was possible to finish the work on the draft by the end of the summer. The party said that it was ready to join the commission if it would not be used by the authorities as a tool for dragging out the process. The non-parliamentary opposition parties, those behind the ongoing protest rallies, rejected to join the commission.
President Saakashvili while meeting with Avtandil Demetrashvili on June 4 ruled out again possibility of early elections and emphasized the authorities would not yield to "pressure from the streets." But on the other hand, the President underlined, dialogue and taking into consideration the society's interests is very important in order to achieve civil peace and unity." The ruling party declared on June 4, that the authorities were ready to negotiate with the opposition in frames of already existing formats, which were established in cooperation with the parliamentary minority groups. The already existing formats include -the commission on constitutional reform, the group working on election reform and the Anti-Crisis Council.
Meanwhile, the opposition further reduced number of mocked up prison cells by removing those, which were installed immediately outside Tbilisi Marriott Hotel on the Rustaveli Avenue. Improvised cells remain blocking traffic on the Rustaveli Avenue outside the parliament. A week ago opposition removed improvised cells from the Freedom Square and in mid-May ‘cells' were removed from outside the public TV reopening traffic on Kostava Street. Opposition is now considering "a new tactic" of protests, which will be announced in next few days. A group of non-parliamentary opposition, mainly those behind the ongoing protest rallies, signed on June 3 a Charter of Commitments pledging to adhere to democratic principles when they come into power. The 8-page document consists of three parts with the first one outlining ten commitments; in the second part it lays out, as it puts it, "failures of the Georgian authorities"; and the third part lays out the undersigned political parties' vision and goals, which reads that "the best way to restore civil freedom and turn the country towards progress and development is through early presidential and parliamentary elections." The parties also claim that turning of the Charter platform into reality "is achievable through continuing public protest and with following civil disobedience". It also reads that ongoing protests "will stop only if the President resigns."
Neither opposition, nor the authorities are capable of resolving "deep crisis" separately and "all the responsible political forces" should "urgently" engage in meaningful negotiations, Irakli Alasania, leader of Alliance for Georgia, said on May 29. Davit Berdzenishvili of the Republican Party, part of Alliance for Georgia, stated on June 5, that the opposition would gain upper hand even in case of early parliamentary elections". So we state it publicly - either early parliamentary or early presidential elections; or both of them simultaneously".
