Out with the New, In with the Old?

Op-Ed

Since ex-premiere Bidzina Ivanishvili can’t be seen in public anymore and is clearly not taking part in the Georgian Dream pre-election campaign, unusual processes of reincarnation can be seen in the local politics. It is hard to believe the “revival” of those forgotten faces which have started to emerge like mushrooms after the rain. Just the example of the former head of State Security, Igor Giorgadze, is enough, who fled to Moscow years ago. Few know that in a few weeks’ time, Tbilisi City Court is to make the final decision according to which he might be proven innocent due to “lack of evidence”. This will give a green light to the unequivocal favorite of the Kremlin to enter Georgian politics. This assumption seems even more realistic in light of him having been removed from the Interpol search list some time ago.

The case of the ex-head of State Security has been in court since 2015. In 2016, the trial began in the absence of the defendant, whose lawyers are already announcing that by all means the court will close with Giorgadze’s full rehabilitation. One of the charges against him is Act 65 (old edition) – treason; according to the Prosecution, Giorgadze and his supporters plotted an attack in August 29, 1995 against then-President Eduard Shevardnadze. So, the 22 year-old case is being investigated with special interest in 2017, some three months ahead of the elections; quite strangely, nobody was aware of this process except for Rustavi 2 TV, which recently spread the information about the upcoming trial.

The same happened last year, when Giorgadze’s case became the hot thing just before the Parliamentary elections, seeing City Court devoting a whole series of processes to the matter. Why? Whose interests could Giorgadze’s activities serve and what role might the former security minister play in Georgian politics? Apart from his persona, the case of 1995 also offers up other interesting details, especially the fact that the current Minister of Environmental Protection, Gigla Agulasjvili, and MP Koba Narchemashvili are being questioned in court- in that period the investigator of special cases and working on Giorgadze’s case. It turns out the former prosecutor-investigators are the authors of the massive accusation filed against Giorgadze; it is also interesting whether the court will further question these politicians and if the charges will be raised against them in case of Giorgadze being proved innocent?!

For years, Giorgadze has been announcing his return to Georgia, the message being shaped more clearly in recent years. In 2012, Giorgadze said that his lawyer filed a request to the Prosecutor's Office to remove his search status, with the ex-minister declaring: “none of the courts, nor any investigative authorities, have charged me. I can’t see any hindering conditions for not returning to Georgia.” This announcement was made in his online-press conferences via a media press club, in which he talked about his plans. He added that all accusations made against him were changed by the witnesses during the trial, however, he wasn’t able to return to the country during the years of the former government. Furthermore, Giorgadze talked about being involved in more than one thing in Georgia: “I haven’t stopped being involved in the political life in Georgia. I have a registered the party ‘Justice,’ I am its head and have continued to work. In 2009, in Moscow, I registered a social movement ‘Georgia Abroad,’ which united Georgians who had been forced to leave the country... I have contacts and I always try to use them in favor of Georgia to the maximum.”

What influence will Igor Giorgadze have upon returning to Georgia? Political analyst Gia Khukhashvili says that his chances equal to zero as, for understandable reasons, Georgian Dream won’t let him get any closer as it doesn’t want to give reason for criticism. “For now, Ivanishvili has withdrawn from the political processes, but hasn’t completely torn himself from the responsibility. Ivanishvili hasn’t left Georgian Dream and Giorgadze’s appearance and return will factually mean that Ivanishvili has left. Is would be impossible otherwise. Therefore, either Ivanishvili will soon be returning to the Avant scene or the chaos that has been going on in the governmental party will continue”.

The process of appearance of people like Sandro Bregadze will go on. Notable are Bregadze’s political perspectives after the head of Autonomous Republic of Adjara, Aslan Abashidze, fled to Moscow in 2004. He wasn’t seen for 13 years, but has emerged now and quite scandalously so- with the Georgian March, which was held against trading land to foreigners- seeing him protesting the general loyal attitude of the country towards foreigners. Suddenly, the former ambassador of Georgia to Russia, Vazha Lortkipanidze, arose, too, he who had previously highlighted his friendship with the Russian President Putin. As we can see, the disappearance of Ivanishvili is quite directly connected with the revival of pro-Russian faces. The only thing left is to call on him in unison under his Solokali or Shekvetili Residences: “Show uuup, show uuup, show uuup!”

Zaza Jgarkava

31 July 2017 12:39