GEORGIAN PARLIAMENT CAMPAIGN DIRTIEST IN COUNTRY'S HISTORY - RUSSIAN PAPER
tert.am
02.10.12
In an article commenting on the October 1 parliamentary election in
Georgia, the Russian Newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta says the country
saw its dirtiest ever campaign over the course of history.
The chief intrigue, according to Yuri Roks, a Russian analyst who
covered the topic, is that the prime minister is next year taking
charge of the executive. The expert believes that the political party,
which won the parliamentary polls, will nominate the new prime minister
in 2013.
"Saakashvili has been twice elected, so he has no right to nominate
himself in the 2013 presidential election. But he can officiate
as a prime minister," says the author, adding that the process,
regardless of its outcomes, will be remembered in Georgia's history
as the tensest election that followed a dirty campaign.
The prison scandal that met the opposition's strong criticism was the
response to the unveiling of the secret video and audio tape records,
Rox says, referring to a further scandal that occurred on Sunday.
"A 10-month-old girl was murdered in Georgia's wine producing Kakheti
region, the place being hardly visible on the map. She was smothered
in a large wine jar, which is commonly kept close.
As the mother claimed, a left-wing Georgian Dream activist who hosted
her and her daughter in his place had several times threatened to
harm the baby.
On Sunday night, the family were dining, having left the sleeping
baby in a room. An hour later they, went into the room to find the
baby missing. After searches throughout village, they finally found
it dead in a big jar.
In interviews with the opposition run TV channels, the grief-stricken
relatives found enough courage in themselves to attribute political
motives to the incident," Rocks adds.
The expert notes that the journalists from the opposition channels
later began pointing out to the deceased child's Armenian surname,
adding that the Armenian community, like any other ethnic minority
group, traditionally votes in favor of the ruling authorities.
"The speculations over the mutilated baby continued until Monday,
the election day.
Later in the day, the Georgian CEC said that 45% of the voting-age
population had headed to the polls,
People backing the opposition spoke of election frauds in the
social networks. In the second half of the day, observers called for
halting the election on the grounds of election riggings in one of
the districts of the Armenian populated [town of] Akhalkalaki.
The CEC urged the election runners to refrain from celebrating an early
victory. The warning, however, was addressed to the Georgian Dream.
Several opposition parties had announced that they would gather
their co-thinkers in the street in case of election frauds," says
the Russian analyst.
From: Baghdasarian
tert.am
02.10.12
In an article commenting on the October 1 parliamentary election in
Georgia, the Russian Newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta says the country
saw its dirtiest ever campaign over the course of history.
The chief intrigue, according to Yuri Roks, a Russian analyst who
covered the topic, is that the prime minister is next year taking
charge of the executive. The expert believes that the political party,
which won the parliamentary polls, will nominate the new prime minister
in 2013.
"Saakashvili has been twice elected, so he has no right to nominate
himself in the 2013 presidential election. But he can officiate
as a prime minister," says the author, adding that the process,
regardless of its outcomes, will be remembered in Georgia's history
as the tensest election that followed a dirty campaign.
The prison scandal that met the opposition's strong criticism was the
response to the unveiling of the secret video and audio tape records,
Rox says, referring to a further scandal that occurred on Sunday.
"A 10-month-old girl was murdered in Georgia's wine producing Kakheti
region, the place being hardly visible on the map. She was smothered
in a large wine jar, which is commonly kept close.
As the mother claimed, a left-wing Georgian Dream activist who hosted
her and her daughter in his place had several times threatened to
harm the baby.
On Sunday night, the family were dining, having left the sleeping
baby in a room. An hour later they, went into the room to find the
baby missing. After searches throughout village, they finally found
it dead in a big jar.
In interviews with the opposition run TV channels, the grief-stricken
relatives found enough courage in themselves to attribute political
motives to the incident," Rocks adds.
The expert notes that the journalists from the opposition channels
later began pointing out to the deceased child's Armenian surname,
adding that the Armenian community, like any other ethnic minority
group, traditionally votes in favor of the ruling authorities.
"The speculations over the mutilated baby continued until Monday,
the election day.
Later in the day, the Georgian CEC said that 45% of the voting-age
population had headed to the polls,
People backing the opposition spoke of election frauds in the
social networks. In the second half of the day, observers called for
halting the election on the grounds of election riggings in one of
the districts of the Armenian populated [town of] Akhalkalaki.
The CEC urged the election runners to refrain from celebrating an early
victory. The warning, however, was addressed to the Georgian Dream.
Several opposition parties had announced that they would gather
their co-thinkers in the street in case of election frauds," says
the Russian analyst.
From: Baghdasarian