MINELRES: Georgia: Statement of Ethnic Minority Organizations

[minelres@lists.microlink.lv]

Original sender: Multinational Georgia <pmmg@caucasus.net>


Statement of Ethnic Minority Organizations
Concerning the events taking place in Georgia

The latest events in Georgia once again proved inability of the state's
authorities to establish a dialogue not only with opposition, but with
people as well. Slaughter and pursuit of the demonstrators, then havoc
of the TV-company "Imedi" and suspending of other mass-media's work,
including TV-channels, radios and newspapers, became the last straw
which exhausted patience of people of Georgia. Non-adequate actions of
the governing elite towards the processes ongoing in society, spreading
of a fear, psychological pressure and violence on which the policy of
regime during the past four years was based, created a gulf between
people and authorities. Absolutely unacceptable for democratic system
methods used by the government not only on 7th of November while
breaking up demonstration and exerting rough pressure upon media, but
also typical almost for the whole governing period, entailed complete
loss of confidence amongst population. Another, not the least of the
factors which wins attention, is argumentation of authorities on their
actions which consists in aspiration to protect vector of pro-Western
orientation of Georgia from encroachment that may provoke irritation of
many our fellow-citizens and opposite reaction from their side. 

In this connection we, the undersigned, consider expedient and support
initiative on conduction of presidential elections in the space of time
allowed by the Constitution, as a way of returning to people faith in
gaining opportunity to live in democratic country, not shaken time to
time by coup d'etats and revolutions. At the same time we are sure that
elections may become the way out from created crisis and will help
Georgia to reestablish confidence on international arena in the case if
work of all media sources will be resumed and each candidate will have
an opportunity to conduct pre-electoral campaign on a scale he considers
relevant. 

In this situation a big importance has got conduction of fair democratic
elections, and we think that guarantee to this may become presence of
relevant number of observers, especially in the regions compactly
settled by minorities, where probability of elections falsification is
traditionally high. 

Respectfully,

Arnold Stepanian - The Union "Public Movement Multinational Georgia" 

Agit Mirzoev - The Union "Public Movement Multinational Georgia"

Mikheil Avakyan - The Union of Armenian Youth of Georgia

Ali Babaev - The Union "Georgia - My Motherland"

Olena Polyak - The Union of Ukrainian Women of Georgia 

Lili Safarova - National Congress of Kurds-Yezids of Georgia 

Harry Augst - Association of Germans of Georgia "Einung"

Tengiz Gagloev - Association of Ossetians of Georgia 

Mikheil Aydinov - Association of Journalists "Multinational Georgia"

Sabina Alieva - The Union of Azerbaijanis of Georgia "Civil Action"

Nukri Gabunia - Polish Sunday School named after St. Queen Jadviga 

Laura Kharitonishvili - The Union "Vejini" 

Raina Beleva-Akhalkatsishvili - Bulgarian society of Georgia "Vzrajdane" 

Levon Levanyan - The Union "Regional Civic Initiatives for Development
of Democracy in Samtskhe-Javakheti"

Regina Jakobidze - Latvian society of Georgia "Ave
Sol!"

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