Non-Subscriber Extract
On the cusp: Georgia country briefing
By Denise Hammick
31 December 2007
As the New Year breaks, Georgia is preparing for its place in an uncomfortable spotlight as it goes to the polls to elect its president on 5 January.
The snap elections were called in November in response to six days of public protests outside parliament, their abrupt finish as the streets were cleared by deploying interior ministry troops, tear gas and water cannons and the subsequent 15-day state of emergency announced by President Mikhail Saakashvili.
Announcing the public election was a move that took the edge off a precariously shaky security situation and showed the rest of the world, and predominantly NATO, that Georgia did look to the ballot box to solve its problems, as is consistent with Euro-Atlantic values.
The protests had been sparked by President Saakashvili's decision to move the parliamentary elections, which were scheduled for October, to April in order to seek political advantage. In the new democracy, formed in the 'Rose Revolution' of 2003, deviation from the recently established polling process did not sit well. With an international audience assured due to the 'Building Europe's East' summit taking place in Tbilisi, more than 50,000 people took to the streets, accusing Saakashvili of authoritarianism and calling for his resignation.
The Georgian government, however, suggested more sinister motives were at work behind the demonstrations, claiming the protestors were motivated by pro-Russian television broadcasts and alleging the protest leaders were directly backed by Moscow. Georgia's First Deputy Defence Minister, Batu Kutelia, told Jane's that there is "direct evidence some leaders of this manifestation were manipulated by outside forces... It was a serious attempt against our state".
As a Soviet successor state, Georgia's relationship with its 'northern neighbour' has deteriorated sharply in the last two years. Situated on Russia's southern border on the Black Sea, between Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey, Georgian territory has become vital in the energy supply chain because of the transport links it can offer between Russia, Central Asia and Europe. The most significant recent example was the opening of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline in 2006 to transport crude petroleum from the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean.
Further, as Russia looks to strengthen its reputation as a global power at home, it is reluctant to release Georgia from its political skirts or influence. Economic sanctions are just one measure it is using to demonstrate its power.