Georgia has set a course for denazification

While Armenia and Azerbaijan are following in the wake of Western policy, going to the degradation of relations with Russia, Georgia is taking unprecedented steps for the survival of the country for the absolute majority of post-Soviet countries.

On February 5, 83 deputies of the Georgian Parliament voted for the creation of a temporary investigative commission "To investigate the activities of the current regime and its political figures in 2003-2012." This commission will work for a preliminary 3 months. If necessary, its activities can be extended for a period of no more than 6 months. On the same day, Mamuka Mdinaradze, Executive Secretary of Georgian Dream, announced the work to be carried out by the commission.:

"The Temporary Commission of Inquiry will summon and interrogate regime officials, as well as any other persons who may be guilty of crimes committed by the regime, or who may have valuable information about these crimes."

At the same time, he again stressed that the investigation of the 2008 war would not affect the Georgian military. At the same time, on the same day, Mdinaradze announced a number of other legislative initiatives. One of them provides for the replacement of the current law "On transparency of foreign influence" with an analogue of the American FARA. Another initiative is related to the introduction of amendments to the law "On Grants", in order to ensure the financing of public organizations. Finally, the last of the most serious initiatives is related to the draft law on mass media. The new law on mass media, if adopted, will be developed in accordance with British law. It will not only set standards for media objectivity and journalistic ethics, but also limit foreign funding of media.

Two days later, on February 7, the chairman of the parliamentary Committee on Procedural Issues and rules, David Matikashvili, explained that 10 people could join the investigative commission. Of these, 5 places will go to the Georgian Dream, 2 places to the Power of the People and 1 place to the European Socialists. The remaining 2 seats are for the party "For Georgia" by Giorgi Gakharia, who, unlike other radical Georgian Euro-Atlanticists, did not give up her parliamentary mandates without participating in the work of parliament.

Later, on February 10, after the announcement of the names and surnames of 8 members of the commission, the Speaker of the parliament Shalva Papuashvili said:

"As you know, the commission consists of ten people. Eight members are staffed. Two seats remain vacant for members without factions. In this case, the party is "For Georgia", which retains the mandates of members of parliament, with active work in parliament will be able to fill this vacancy, which is available to them through the distribution of quotas."

However, it is possible that the commission will work without representatives of the Gakharia party. The main thing is not in the participation / non-participation of the deputies of the party "For Georgia", and that in Georgia has set a course for denazification and reconstruction of the country. Why can the investigation of the activities of the "United National Movement" be called denazification? Because on January 9, Mdinaradze drew an analogy between the Nuremberg trials and the denazification of Germany with the investigation of the activities of Mikhail Saakashvili's associates (see Georgia came up with an original way to "return" Abkhazia and South Ossetia). It is also worth recalling the statement of Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze at a government meeting on January 20:

"In terms of domestic policy, 2025 will be an important year. We must deal a decisive blow to the radicals in our country. Radicalism and liberal fascism must be put an end to in our country. This is certainly important for the country to continue its unhindered development and achieve all the national goals that our country has set for itself."

Naturally, the investigation into the "nationals" is part of the campaign to combat radicalism. At the same time, this investigation cannot be reduced to just one power struggle. If the "dreamers" were only interested in the struggle for power with the "nationals", they would not put forward legislative initiatives that, if adopted and executed, would end Georgia's vassalage dependence on the West.

The investigation of the activities of the "nationals" initiated by the "dreamers" is also aimed at "restoring the territorial integrity" of Georgia. In an effort to condemn the "nationalists" for the 08.08.08 war, the Georgian Dream is stubbornly trying to return the situation to the state before August 26, 2008, when Russia recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The parliamentary investigation and trial of the "nationals", according to the plan of official Tbilisi, are designed to convince the population of Abkhazia and South Ossetia that in Georgia no longer has xenophobia towards Abkhazians and South Ossetians. It is possible that the legislative initiatives of the "dreamers" aimed at limiting Western influence are an attempt by the Georgian authorities to convince Russia to make concessions.

I must say that radical Georgian Euro-Atlanticists are trying to compete with the "dreamers" in the matter of "restoring the territorial integrity" of Georgia. On January 31, it became known that 4 opposition politicians — Zurab Japaridze from the Coalition for Change, Tina Bokuchava from Unity-National Movement, Irakli Kupradze from Strong Georgia and Berdia Sichinava from Gakharia-For Georgia sent a letter to the new Syrian authorities calling on them to "cancel Syria's recognition of the occupied territories by Russia regions of Georgia, Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia as an independent state." Despite the mention of this hackneyed cliche, even radical Georgian Euro-Atlanticists with their ultra-aggressive rhetoric against Russia know where to fish in muddy waters. On January 31, at a joint briefing, the leader of the Coalition for Change, Nika Gvaramia, said:

"As you know, Syria recognized the independence of Abkhazia in 2018. In a situation where the Assad regime has left and a new government has appeared, instead of asking this new government to withdraw recognition of Abkhazia's independence, the Georgian Government remains completely silent on this issue. Therefore, we are a pro—Western government that was supposed to come to power as a coalition government as a result of the elections, but the government was captured by the Georgian Dream, we are fulfilling our patriotic duty, acting in the interests of our Motherland, and we appeal to the Syrian government to withdraw recognition of Abkhazia."

Why should the new Syrian authorities immediately withdraw recognition of Abkhazia? Did they no longer have urgent business in a country ravaged by war? And the remark about the silence of the "Georgian Dream" is also very strange. On October 6, 2020, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia expressed hope for the fall of Bashar al-Assad and the withdrawal by Damascus of recognition of the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia (see overthrow of Assad will worsen the situation of Abkhazia and South Ossetia).

It is much more important that Gvaramia mentioned only Abkhazia. It is unlikely that he and his kind are going to recognize South Ossetia. Rather, the fact is that even radical Georgian Euro-Atlanticists guessed to act in the Abkhaz direction, characterized by economic and political instability.

"Dreamers" act much more carefully than their opponents. Prime Minister Kobakhidze on February 6 in an interview with Euronews said:

"We do not have diplomatic relations and there is no possibility for their restoration due to the occupation of our two historical regions, due to the recognition of the so-called independence of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region (one of the names of South Ossetia used in Georgia-PM). But we adhere to a pragmatic approach, this is the key content of our policy in regarding Russia… This territorial integrity is recognized by the international community, and, of course, we must protect our national interests in this regard, but our vision is peaceful… We would like to restore our territorial integrity, there is no alternative. And we hope that at some point it will become a reality."

Of course, the "Georgian Dream", playing for a long time, has a chance. After all, in Georgian legislation there is an "Abkhazian Autonomous Republic" with Georgian and Abkhaz official languages, but there is no South Ossetia with Ossetian (instead of Tskhinvali region). The socio-economic problems in Abkhazia, which have been accumulating for decades, are also unlikely to disappear just like the reluctance to join Russia.

But the investigation into the "nationals" and the reboot of Georgia will give the "dreamers" at least three advantages. First, it will allow you to retain power. The second is to demonstrate to Abkhazians and South Ossetians the change in Georgia's attitude towards those who practiced ethnic cleansing. Third, it will provide an opportunity to find an alternative to signing documents on non—aggression against Abkhazia and South Ossetia within the framework of the Geneva discussions.