A Criminal in Politics or Politics in a Criminal World
The new parliament started by revoking the bill about condoms and registering changes to be made to the Law of Georgia on Occupied Territories.
The law known to the general public as “condoms with barbs” was adopted following the first reading by the previous parliament. Georgian Dream (GD) supported the prohibition with 76 votes to 14. The ruling party hasn’t been interested in this law since, but now, it once again remembered this issue and revoked the law it initiated four years ago.
It seems that condoms are the luckier topic for the Georgian Dream, quite unlike the law about occupied territories which was raised recently; it is still unknown how it will work for the party, especially when the initiative does not belong to GD but instead to Patriotic Alliance MP, Emzar Kvitsiani.
Similar legislative changes were demanded by the previous parliament when GD MPs also raised the issue. At that time, making the legislative changes was interrupted by the elections but now the elections are over, Kvitsiani is back, demanding not only changes but complete abolition of the law on the occupied territories. “This law goes against the Georgian people. This law was adopted to prevent Georgians, who are citizens of Russia, from entering Abkhazia, buying land there and turning it into Georgia again. That is why Russians made Saakashvili adopt this law and it should be abolished,” Kvitsiani claims.
The United National Movement says that GD is partly ready to realize the ideas that Kvitsiani suggested and soon trying to cross the border into the territories of occupied Abkhazia and South Ossetia will no longer be illegal but will incur just a 400 GEL fine. Georgian Dream says that the legislative changes are not based on Kvitsiani’s ambitions but are connected with the demands of international organizations.
“A person who is unaware of the Georgian Law on Occupied Territories should not be punished under criminal law. Georgia has received reprimands from international organizations, and sanctions, because the law was not lifted, GD MP Eka Beselia stated.
In general, the interests of Georgian Dream and MP Kvitsiani have crossed twice already in the new parliament as, alongside the above law, there followed a fuss about Kvitsiani being appointed as Deputy Chairman of the Defense and Security Committee, with the new members of GD refusing to accept him as such. Subsequently, Kvitsiani accused GD of colluding with the UNM. Furthermore, his party, the Patriotic Alliance, has even sued GD for rigging the elections.
This was probably the reason the government chose to remind Kvitsiani of his criminal past and the kidnappings during Shevardnadze’s time in power. “In the Kodori Gorge, Kvitsiani kidnapped and beat IDP representatives of government who had fled Abkhazia, and also German observers,” said the former Minister of Interior Affairs Kakha Targamadze. Kvitsiani has yet to respond to this comment. Surprisingly, Kvitsiani was convicted on exactly these charges for years and was also freed under the status of political prisoner by denying them.
The governmental methods in Georgia are truly astonishing: you never know what is or is not punishable. A criminal in politics or politics in a criminal world? MP Kvitsiani demands the creation of a Temporary Investigation Commission to conduct a detailed investigation into the events that took place in Kodori Gorge in 2006. The government hasn’t responded to his demands. However, it is obvious that by activating Kvitsiani, and warning him not to cross the red lines, the Georgian Dream government plans to start a new “Holy War” against the UNM. The red lines, though, are apparently drawn right on the official seat.
Zaza Jgarkava