Skip to content or view mobile version

Home | Mobile | Editorial | Mission | Privacy | About | Contact | Help | Security | Support

A network of individuals, independent and alternative media activists and organisations, offering grassroots, non-corporate, non-commercial coverage of important social and political issues.

Georgia

Keith Parkins | 25.11.2003 16:00 | Analysis | Repression | Social Struggles

Following the examples of the collapse of the old Soviet Bloc, the former-Soviet Republics, and more recent examples from Serbia, Argentina and Bolivia, people power has toppled the corrupt regime in Georgia. Where now democracy?


'The people were fighting for freedom, for democracy in the country for their votes. They tried to defend their votes and I am really very happy that this revolution ended without blood.' -- Nino Burjanadze

'There is logical concern that the transfer of power in Georgia has taken place against a background of strong pressure of the use of force. Those who organise and encourage such actions must assume their responsibilities before the Georgian people.' -- Vladimir Putin

'I have never betrayed my people and I am stating now, too, that it is probably better for the president to resign, so all this can end peacefully and there is no bloodshed and no casualties.' -- Eduard Shevardnadze


2 November 2003

Rigged elections cause the population of Georgia to take to the the streets. Three weeks of street protests follow.

22 November 2003

Following three weeks of street protests the people storm the parliament. The unpopular president Eduard Shevardnadze is forced to flee. Nino Burdzhanadze, speaker of the parliament, urges calm, declares herself acting president and that elections will be held.

From his palace, Eduard Shevardnadze declares a state of emergency.

The army and the police refuse to intervene.

23 November 2003

Following threating noises from Russia, the Russian foreign secretary, Igor Ivanov, flies in. The negotiations result in the resignation of Eduard Shevardnadze.

What has gone wrong?

During the breakup of the Soviet Union, Eduard Shevardnadze as Soviet Foreign Secretary, together with
Mikhail Gorbachev, was highly regarded, at least by Western political elites

Shevardnadze took over the presidency of Georgia in 1992, following the breakup of the Soviet Union, he was hailed as a hero. Since then the country has stagnated, and become mired in corruption. The leadership have grown fat, whereas in what was once a prosperous country, over half the country now live below the poverty line according to official World Bank statistics.

Real politik

Georgia, sandwiched between Russia and Turkey, is of strategic importance, both US and Russia have military bases in Georgia. The Baku Ceyan pipeline from the Caspian Sea, will run through Georgia, from the oil rich Caspian region, through Turkey, to the Mediterranean. The World Bank, despite environmental and human rights concerns, has given its approval.

All the former-Soviet Asian republics, have US bases, corrupt authoritarian regimes, which, if nothing else exposes the lies of Bush's desire for democracy. Democracy US style, yes, but not democracy as we know it.

People power

Still to come is the overthrow of the corrupt authoritarian regimes in the former Soviet republics across Central Asia.

A decade ago we saw country after country overthrown by people on the streets. This was followed by the overthrow of the corrupt Serbian government. More recently we have seen the overthrow of the presidency of Argentina last year and only last month, the US-backed president of Bolivia was forced to flee.

But what has been learnt?

The people have the power to go out onto the streets, to change governments, but not yet have they fundamentally changed the political scene. They have yet to take the next, and most decisive step.

What we have seen, is the imposition of democracy US style. The people may have the vote in a ballot (which may or not be rigged), but they are not in charge. In all the ex-Soviet Bloc countries, including Russia, the people, with a few exceptions, are worse off. The countries have been bled to death by western big business, public services left to rot.

The worst example is South Africa. The Blacks may have the vote, but it has proved to be a hollow victory. The government is pursuing a neoliberal agenda far worse than anything envisaged by the minority Africaans under apartheid.

What happens, is that the ruling elite gets toppled, to be simply replaced by a different ruling elite. The proletariat may have a vote, may even have a choice, but it is not a real choice, the choice between political elites accountable to money, not the people. The people may be marginally better off, often they are left worse off than before.

Are the people any better off in the Philipines since people power toppled the corrupt Marcus?

George W Bush has said he wishes to see democracy in the Middle East. This is democracy US style, where countries are opened up to and controlled by international capital. The only role of local elites, is to ease the flow of international capital and to open up the countries to exploitation.

We have seen this during Bush's State visit to England. Whilst hundreds of thousands of protesters were on the streets making the war criminal feel the heat, the real agenda was not what was being said by George W at the State Banqueting Hall in London, but what was happening in Miami at the FTAA talks. What US was unable to achieve at the failed WTO talks at Cancun a month ago, it was trying to achieve for the Americas in Miami.

There are exceptions.

In Argentina, although the presidency has been toppled, the people on the streets are wary of any formal political engagement. Instead they have taken over local areas, factories, formed their own bakeries, organic kitchen gardens, printing presses. Example are also being seen with the Zapatistas in Chiapas (Mexico) and Partido dos Trabalhadores (Brazilian Workers Party) in Porto Alegre (Brazil).

Participatory democracy

Yes, there is a need to topple corrupt governments that are unaccountable to the people, and maybe there is a need for free and fair elections, to provide a framework within which the overall system operates, but as history has shown us, and much for the hopes of Thomas Paine, representative democracy does not and is not working.

We have to have participatory democracy, where the people participate at every level in decision making. Politics is too important to be left to politicians.

We have a situation now in several countries, where due to the turmoil, the time is ripe for the introduction of participatory democracy. It will not be possible in a stable system as the vested interests are far too strong. It has to be when people are looking for new answers, when the system is in a state of flux.

It also has to be across several countries, who set an example to others. It has to be across several countries, to act jointly against the forces of reaction.

The time is right for another reason. We have a growing anti-war and anti-globalisation movement, a disparate movement joined by the wish to see change, to move away from the greed-driven systems that benefit the few at a cost to the many and the environment. The biggest movement since the anti-Vietnam movement and civil rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s.

The difference between then and now, is that lessons have been learnt. The system teetered on the brink, almost toppled, then recovered. It is teetering on the brink again.

Ref

Anti-FTAA protests begin in Miami amidst police harassment, Indymedia, 17 November 2003

Argentina, BVEJ newsletter, July 2003

Argentina Autonomist Project - Piquetera Tour, BVEJ newsletter, July 2003

Baku Ceyan pipeline, BVEJ newsletter, August 2003

Bolivia - Que Se Vayan Todos, BVEJ newsletter, November 2003

Bush Not Welcome!, Indymedia, 19 November 2003

Georgia keeps sights set on West, BBC News on-line, 24 November 2003

Georgia's new leader replaces mentor, BBC News on-line, 24 November 2003

Keith Parkins, Partido dos Trabalhadores, October 2003

Keith Parkins, A sense of the masses - a manifesto for the new revolution, November 2003

Keith Parkins, Zapatistas, September 2003

Keith Parkins, Free Trade Area of the Americas, October 2003

Keith Parkins, New political initiative, Indymedia UK, 16 October 2003

Keith Parkins, New political initiative, Indymedia UK, 20 October 2003

Keith Parkins, Democracy US style, Indymedia UK, 21 November 2003

People power forces Georgia leader out, BBC News on-line, 24 November 2003

Resistance to US Imperialism, Indymedia, 20 November 2003

Stop Bush, BVEJ newsletter, November 2003

UK Protesters Topple Bush (In Effigy); Miami Police Weaponized and Violent, Indymedia, 21 November 2003

WTO, BVEJ newsletter, October 2003

web

 http://www.bakuceyhan.org.uk
 http://www.heureka.clara.net/gaia/
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2003/11/281517.html
 http://www.heureka.clara.net/gaia/democracy.htm


Keith Parkins
- Homepage: http://www.heureka.clara.net/gaia/democracy.htm

Upcoming Coverage
View and post events
Upcoming Events UK
24th October, London: 2015 London Anarchist Bookfair
2nd - 8th November: Wrexham, Wales, UK & Everywhere: Week of Action Against the North Wales Prison & the Prison Industrial Complex. Cymraeg: Wythnos o Weithredu yn Erbyn Carchar Gogledd Cymru

Ongoing UK
Every Tuesday 6pm-8pm, Yorkshire: Demo/vigil at NSA/NRO Menwith Hill US Spy Base More info: CAAB.

Every Tuesday, UK & worldwide: Counter Terror Tuesdays. Call the US Embassy nearest to you to protest Obama's Terror Tuesdays. More info here

Every day, London: Vigil for Julian Assange outside Ecuadorian Embassy

Parliament Sq Protest: see topic page
Ongoing Global
Rossport, Ireland: see topic page
Israel-Palestine: Israel Indymedia | Palestine Indymedia
Oaxaca: Chiapas Indymedia
Regions
All Regions
Birmingham
Cambridge
Liverpool
London
Oxford
Sheffield
South Coast
Wales
World
Other Local IMCs
Bristol/South West
Nottingham
Scotland
Social Media
You can follow @ukindymedia on indy.im and Twitter. We are working on a Twitter policy. We do not use Facebook, and advise you not to either.
Support Us
We need help paying the bills for hosting this site, please consider supporting us financially.
Other Media Projects
Schnews
Dissident Island Radio
Corporate Watch
Media Lens
VisionOnTV
Earth First! Action Update
Earth First! Action Reports
Topics
All Topics
Afghanistan
Analysis
Animal Liberation
Anti-Nuclear
Anti-militarism
Anti-racism
Bio-technology
Climate Chaos
Culture
Ecology
Education
Energy Crisis
Fracking
Free Spaces
Gender
Globalisation
Health
History
Indymedia
Iraq
Migration
Ocean Defence
Other Press
Palestine
Policing
Public sector cuts
Repression
Social Struggles
Technology
Terror War
Workers' Movements
Zapatista
Major Reports
NATO 2014
G8 2013
Workfare
2011 Census Resistance
Occupy Everywhere
August Riots
Dale Farm
J30 Strike
Flotilla to Gaza
Mayday 2010
Tar Sands
G20 London Summit
University Occupations for Gaza
Guantanamo
Indymedia Server Seizure
COP15 Climate Summit 2009
Carmel Agrexco
G8 Japan 2008
SHAC
Stop Sequani
Stop RWB
Climate Camp 2008
Oaxaca Uprising
Rossport Solidarity
Smash EDO
SOCPA
Past Major Reports
Encrypted Page
You are viewing this page using an encrypted connection. If you bookmark this page or send its address in an email you might want to use the un-encrypted address of this page.
If you recieved a warning about an untrusted root certificate please install the CAcert root certificate, for more information see the security page.

Global IMC Network


www.indymedia.org

Projects
print
radio
satellite tv
video

Africa

Europe
antwerpen
armenia
athens
austria
barcelona
belarus
belgium
belgrade
brussels
bulgaria
calabria
croatia
cyprus
emilia-romagna
estrecho / madiaq
galiza
germany
grenoble
hungary
ireland
istanbul
italy
la plana
liege
liguria
lille
linksunten
lombardia
madrid
malta
marseille
nantes
napoli
netherlands
northern england
nottingham imc
paris/île-de-france
patras
piemonte
poland
portugal
roma
romania
russia
sardegna
scotland
sverige
switzerland
torun
toscana
ukraine
united kingdom
valencia

Latin America
argentina
bolivia
chiapas
chile
chile sur
cmi brasil
cmi sucre
colombia
ecuador
mexico
peru
puerto rico
qollasuyu
rosario
santiago
tijuana
uruguay
valparaiso
venezuela

Oceania
aotearoa
brisbane
burma
darwin
jakarta
manila
melbourne
perth
qc
sydney

South Asia
india


United States
arizona
arkansas
asheville
atlanta
Austin
binghamton
boston
buffalo
chicago
cleveland
colorado
columbus
dc
hawaii
houston
hudson mohawk
kansas city
la
madison
maine
miami
michigan
milwaukee
minneapolis/st. paul
new hampshire
new jersey
new mexico
new orleans
north carolina
north texas
nyc
oklahoma
philadelphia
pittsburgh
portland
richmond
rochester
rogue valley
saint louis
san diego
san francisco
san francisco bay area
santa barbara
santa cruz, ca
sarasota
seattle
tampa bay
united states
urbana-champaign
vermont
western mass
worcester

West Asia
Armenia
Beirut
Israel
Palestine

Topics
biotech

Process
fbi/legal updates
mailing lists
process & imc docs
tech