Post-Corona Modus Operandi

OP-ED

Virus or no virus, the political bickering is still at its height in Georgia: the government doing its job as diligently and perseveringly as possible, and the opposition trying very hard to drive down the newly generated wide public support for the ruling party by doing everything they can to mock and belittle the commonplace but justifiable fear of the coronavirus, and overstress the economic disruption.

Naturally, demands to end the state emergency and open businesses are increasing in the country, but relief from curfew and quarantine is to be introduced later rather than earlier, although the oppositional forces are in a febrile hurry to go back to fulltime work forthwith, which can backfire badly. The opposition would like nothing better than for something to go wrong as a result. The political dividends they are still dreaming to acquire in the wake of the still rampant bug might never come, although the most hopeful continue to think that victory in the upcoming parliamentary elections is only smiling upon them. Well, blessed are the believers! As long as our worn-out but still politically charged electorate is concerned, they only want to see the country ruled by the best. And the best are not very difficult to notice even with half-open or even closed eyes.

There is nothing terribly complicated with today’s political arena in Georgia. All the ambitions and aspirations are exposed to the extent of stark nakedness. And there is nothing terribly abnormal about it: as the saying goes, there’s nothing wrong in trying! After making numerous mistakes, the allied opposition and their supporters think they might finally have a chance, provided they manage to disparage the governmental efforts in the public eye, creating panic and sowing pessimism all over the place; their utterly unbridled dream being the eventual riddance of those who firmly continue holding the reins of national wellbeing.

It is interesting to note that the Georgian opposition, once raging in the format of multiple ramifications, has now morphed into one fighting force, though each piece of this new “old force” feels and behaves as if totally independent; abhorring each other as per tradition; some of them desperately trying to rally the artificially-knit-together oppositional power for a revolutionary outcome.

In consequence, some of the people take their action as another abortive performance set on revenge; some consider them astute enough political tricksters; and others think that there is no alternative to the current government at this very moment- most, in fact, are sure that no other government right now could handle the crisis in the country as dexterously as this. The only thing they have to add to their operability in the crisis is the invention of the smartest possible post-corona modus operandi. I am sure they are working on the issue with the same sharp wits that they used at the debut of the virus.

I can’t put any recommendations here because I have nothing to do with the governing mode of the country but I, as one of the thinking species, can throw in a couple of pieces of advice, like getting rid of anybody within the ruling branch who is not good enough to keep up our government’s good image and fame, which they have deservedly earned in the last couple of months. I would also continue working in the same pragmatic way with genuine professionals who have mustered enough knowledge and experience to salvage the nation when there was need to do so. Georgia truly has enough brain power to be picked even by the most developed western powers. This has been proven true when push came to shove in the face of the current viral jeopardy.

Undoubtedly, the opposition will not accept anything that gives credit to the ruling team because opposition is opposition is opposition. And God forbid this political culture ever be left without a controversial opinion directed against the rulers, because only in the fight between the ruling side of the aisle and its political adversaries can the truth be sought and found, consequently working on the rank-and-file’s success and bliss.

By Nugzar B. Ruhadze