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GEORGIA IN DISARRAY OVER TURKISH GENOCIDE OF ARMENIANS
Claire Bigg and Mzia Paresishvili
The Cutting Edge
http://www.thecuttingedgenews.com/index.php?article=73116&pageid=89&pagename=Feature s
April 25 2012
Georgia's tumultuous political scene descended further into disarray
this week with a bitter scuffle in parliament.
The dispute erupted on April 24 when Jondi Baghaturia, an opposition
lawmaker, brought up the prickly issue of whether to recognize as
genocide the massacre of up to 1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman Turks
during World War I. "Citizens of our country, ethnic Armenians, came
here yesterday and demanded that Georgia's parliament recognize the
Armenian genocide," Baghaturia said. "I told you, when you organized
this one-day PR campaign and recognized the Circassian genocide,
I told you not to do it! Now, I'd like to know what you will tell
these people! After all, they are citizens of our country."
Last year, Georgia became the first country to recognize the expulsion
of Circassians from the North Caucasus by the Russian Empire in the
late 19th century as genocide. The recognition was personally backed
by Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili.
"Unruly Class"
Baghaturia's comments drew the ire of fellow deputy Azer Suleimanov.
His family's country of origin, Azerbaijan, is a staunch ally of
Turkey, which rejects the term "genocide" for the Armenian mass
killings. When Baghaturia dismissed his objections with a wave of his
hand, Suleimanov angrily reached into his pocket, drew out a tube of
Vaseline and flung it at Baghaturia. The pair quickly began scuffling
and had to be separated by security.
The brawl drew in several other deputies and involved Baghaturia
throwing his pen at a lawmaker from the ruling party (who,
incidentally, slapped an opposition deputy last year in an argument
over the 2008 war between Russia and Georgia).
Parliament speaker David Bakradze eventually put an end to the
dispute by saying that discord in parliament would only serve to
benefit Georgia's "only enemy," likely a veiled reference to Russia.
Ironically, the brawl was witnessed by a group of schoolchildren who
had come for a lesson in civic education. "It looks," Bakradze had
told the children as deputies prepared for the session, "like our
class is noisier than yours!"
Claire Bigg and Mzia Paresishvili write for for RFE/RL, from where
this article is adapted.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Claire Bigg and Mzia Paresishvili
The Cutting Edge
http://www.thecuttingedgenews.com/index.php?article=73116&pageid=89&pagename=Feature s
April 25 2012
Georgia's tumultuous political scene descended further into disarray
this week with a bitter scuffle in parliament.
The dispute erupted on April 24 when Jondi Baghaturia, an opposition
lawmaker, brought up the prickly issue of whether to recognize as
genocide the massacre of up to 1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman Turks
during World War I. "Citizens of our country, ethnic Armenians, came
here yesterday and demanded that Georgia's parliament recognize the
Armenian genocide," Baghaturia said. "I told you, when you organized
this one-day PR campaign and recognized the Circassian genocide,
I told you not to do it! Now, I'd like to know what you will tell
these people! After all, they are citizens of our country."
Last year, Georgia became the first country to recognize the expulsion
of Circassians from the North Caucasus by the Russian Empire in the
late 19th century as genocide. The recognition was personally backed
by Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili.
"Unruly Class"
Baghaturia's comments drew the ire of fellow deputy Azer Suleimanov.
His family's country of origin, Azerbaijan, is a staunch ally of
Turkey, which rejects the term "genocide" for the Armenian mass
killings. When Baghaturia dismissed his objections with a wave of his
hand, Suleimanov angrily reached into his pocket, drew out a tube of
Vaseline and flung it at Baghaturia. The pair quickly began scuffling
and had to be separated by security.
The brawl drew in several other deputies and involved Baghaturia
throwing his pen at a lawmaker from the ruling party (who,
incidentally, slapped an opposition deputy last year in an argument
over the 2008 war between Russia and Georgia).
Parliament speaker David Bakradze eventually put an end to the
dispute by saying that discord in parliament would only serve to
benefit Georgia's "only enemy," likely a veiled reference to Russia.
Ironically, the brawl was witnessed by a group of schoolchildren who
had come for a lesson in civic education. "It looks," Bakradze had
told the children as deputies prepared for the session, "like our
class is noisier than yours!"
Claire Bigg and Mzia Paresishvili write for for RFE/RL, from where
this article is adapted.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress