The 2016 Elections: Better than Ever Before

OPED

Certain ultra-nationalist flag wavers would blame me for derogating the merits of the nation and exaggerating its flaws, but I usually know what I'm writing about Georgia, depending on what the current social, economic or political moment is asking for. For example, we are now in the middle of the preparatory electoral period to fill the Georgian parliament with new legislative forces, and I like the situation, notwithstanding my mostly negative attitude.

Georgia is coping effectively with this wordy, showy and intricate democratic process, successfully emulating the West. Democracy – as good or bad as it seems – is in full swing in Georgia today: 80 percent of the electorate is ready to go and vote; the air is full of open and unabashed discussions; almost every issue that the constituency is concerned about is sitting on the table; most of the candidates for future membership of the parliament impress us with speeches and promises; media is healthy, courageous and moderately critical; no street manifestations are taking place; cute billboards are hanging all over the place; nobody is going physical in political battlefields; civilized knocks on our doors are heard by the promoters of nominated candidates; the election code is almost fixed and effective; political opponents detest each other, but still carefully choose descriptive epithets; the election-time television shows are masterfully staged by major TV stations; hosts of those shows look professional and sound knowledgeable; the election information is distributed, digested and reproduced promptly; the entire course of developments looks as civilized as never before in this country.

Well, there are some minor things that could embarrass a solid, faithful and qualified voter, but they are almost negligible. Us achieving this style and level of running elections was not achieved overnight. We have been entertaining this for the last thirty politically strained and difficult years, and here we go – we are almost there. Finally. An average Georgian voter has understood that each vote has weight and meaning, the one-person-one-vote theory and practice are in place, fairness of elections and its legality are affordably guarded, gerrymander and vote rigging are not excluded but not easily allowed, the distance between a voter and the voting booth is no longer as rough and thorny as it used to be, ballot boxes do not ‘blush’ for shame as badly as they did before, and the constitution is not being offended as flagrantly as it was in the past.

In a word, the campaign is hot and strained, but it also is well-balanced, and equalized to European standards. There is nothing in the way of openly expressing individual views and ideas. But also, this is the time when the number of swing voters may grow because of the doubts that occur in the process of finding the fairest electoral track. The best corroboration of this statement is the straw vote which is probed occasionally by various poll companies. And money matters, too! Money – soft or hard – is a variable that vibrates, and balances the electoral equation. Yes, if you don’t spend money, you can’t get elected. Same in America, same anywhere else – the more you have, the bigger the chance to get where you want to be. The electoral wannabes in Georgia though, trying to turn themselves into actual gonnabes, are desperately after the votes, standing on whichever platform they think is most popular but in fact not firm enough to get a guaranteed seat in parliament. The electoral horse race is on and it is gathering momentum every inch of the way, but let us not expect a landslide any more. Landslides are now part of the past. This is going to be the most westernized elections we have ever had in our motley political life of the last thirty years.

Nugzar B. Ruhadze