Civil Society After October, 2012 Parliamentary Elections

Salome Achba

If government changes in Georgia, it has already become a trend in Georgia that active members of the nongovernmental organizations join governmental institutions. After Parliamentary Elections of October, 2012, like it happened after the 2003 Rose Revolution, active figures of the Georgian civil society occupied high positions in the new government. Part of experts and nongovernmental organizations positively evaluate this trend though they are also afraid that civil sector of Georgia might face problems because of losing valuable human resources.   

In parallel to it, new nongovernmental organizations were established in the country since the parliamentary elections and big part of them was staffed by former senior officials. We often see the representatives of those new NGOs at the trials of Bachana Akhalaia, Tengiz Gunava, Nika Gvaramia and several other former senior officials, or they participate in the assemblies to support former senior governmental officials who are accused of different crimes. Part of experts thinks National Movement promoted establishment of those NGOs and they might soon disappear.

Meanwhile, President Mikheil Saakashvili declared that development of media and nongovernmental sector is one of the priorities and allocated 1 million lari for their promotion from his reserve fund. Society representatives had contradictory reactions about it.

From Nongovernmental Sector to Public Agencies

Initially, the trend of moving from civil sector to high-ranking institutions of the government was observed soon after the 2003 Rose Revolution. Members of one of the most active nongovernmental organizations during Shevardnadze’s presidency Freedom Institute occupied high positions in the new government after the Rose Revolution. This process significantly weakened civil sector for some time.

Several active representatives of the nongovernmental sector also moved to public agencies since October 2012 elections. Among them, Davit Narmania, former head of Caucasian Institute for Economic and Social Research was one of the first. He was appointed to the post of Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure. Former executive director of Human Rights Center Ucha Nanuashvili became Public Defender of Georgia.

Another active member of the Georgian civil sector was former chairwoman of the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association Tamar Chugoshvili, who became advisor of the prime-minister after October elections.

As for former executive director of the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy Eka Siradze, she is not Georgia’s ambassador to France.

Several days ago, executive director of Journalistic Ethic Charter Tamar Kordzaia was nominated to be majoritarian candidate of the Georgian Dream in Nadzaladevi district of Tbilisi.

Representatives of civil society and experts positively evaluate the drain of NGO members into public service after the elections. Though they said this process shall not resemble the situation which occurred after Rose Revolution in the country.

“It is positive when representatives of civil sector, who had worthy past experience, join governmental institutions. This trend will support the country and the society in general. When active members of the civil sector move to the government, of course the nongovernmental sector gets weaker but renovation process should start and it will happen for sure. The same happened in 2003. After part of NGO activists joined the government, new people, new power came in the civil society,” said Gogi Khutsishvili, head of International Center for Conflict and Negotiation.

“It is urgently important that those people remained faithful to their principles during their activities as public figures. It is important to avoid the situation that occurred after 2003 Rose Revolution when one of the strongest NGOs Freedom Institute, which was very active during Shevardnadze’s government, became main advisor of the National Movement after the latter came in power and they in fact stopped protecting human rights. The leaders of this organization occupied high positions in the parliament and executive government,” said executive director of Human Rights Center Aleko Tskitishvili.

New Governmental Organizations

A new trend was observed after October elections: new NGOs are set up and big part of them is founded by the representatives of the previous government.

We often see members of these NGOs at the trials of former senior officials, either wearing T-shirts or holding posters in support of the accused people.

Aleko Tskitishvili thinks that establishment of new NGOs after the election was inspired by the National Movement at some point.

“Representatives of the new NGOs are loyal about the previous government. Society has many questions about those organizations. I think their establishment was inspired by the UNM at some point because the latter wants to reinforce its resources in the civil sector. This political party is skilled enough in PR-technologies and its members are fully aware about the role of media and civil sector in the ongoing processes in the country. I think big part of those new NGOs was established for a short time and they will soon disappear,” said Aleko Tskitishvili.

Program manager at the Eurasian Partnership Foundation Zaal Anjaparidze also has some questions about this process. “Naturally, everybody has right to set up an NGO. Part of those people occupied senior positions in the previous government. After elections they lost jobs and some of them decided to get employed in the nongovernmental sector. Another issue is whether they have sincerely decided to work for the promotion of the civil sector in the country or it is a temporary process. Maybe, nongovernmental organization is a temporary shelter for them and sort of platform to again return to politics?!” Zaal Anjaparidze wonders.

Grants from the President’s Fund

Information website kkpress.ge is one of those organizations which received grant from the President’s Reserve Fund. Its director Manon Bokuchava said the allocated grant will be spent on the development of the media-outlet.

“In the frame of the grant we will more actively cover the problems of the region. We will have chance to pay salaries to journalists and fund their transportation which we could not afford before this grant. This money does not belong to any political team. The source of this fund is state budget filled in by tax-payers. We would like to clarify that nobody will interfere in our editorial activities and if it happens, we are ready to give up this grant and openly speak about the problem,” Manon Bokuchava said.

Society got suspicious and had many questions about the President’s initiative to allocate 1 million lari from his reserve fund for the development of media and nongovernmental organizations. For example, it is curious why the president made this unprecedented decision just now, how fairly the process is conducted when the President ordered its team to select the grantees and how legal the process is in general.

“Georgian Youth Parliament,” “Club of Civil Journalistic”, “Georgian Institute for Debates and Education,” “Union Imedi” – it is incomplete list of the NGOs, which have already received grants from the President’s Fund.

Zaal Anjaparidze of the Eurasian Partnership Foundation said it is well-spread practice for NGOs in the western countries to get funds from the state budget but the form how it happened in Georgia, causes some doubts.

“NGOs get funds from the state budget in foreign countries too. It happens in different forms there but not like it happened in Georgia – when funds were directly allocated for civil sector and media, it looks like an attempt of the National Movement to reconcile with Georgian civil society or bribe them. Another point is that purpose of the President’s Reserve Fund is completely different from funding the activities of nongovernmental organizations. It is not designed for supporting the NGO sector. I personally do not think it was positive process in our reality. I do not exclude possibility that the granter will give some instructions to the grantees. However, if the process is carried out transparently, it will be possible to prevent similar violation,” said Zaal Anjaparidze.

Public Opinions about Civil Sector

Big part of population does not trust nongovernmental sector. Several surveys of last years prove it.

According to 2011 results of public survey, which was carried out with the support of G-PAC, only about 10% of the interviewed people had information about the activities of nongovernmental sector. 18% of them trusted the NGOs. The situation has slightly changed recently because only 8% of population trusted to NGOs in 2008-2010.

“It was result of the smear campaign against civil sector during Shevardnadze’s government. Conspiracy theory was created about donor organizations and people called “grant-wasters” to local nongovernmental organizations. Similar attitude lasted several years and finally it remained in the consciousness of the population. Smear campaign continued during the government of the National Movement too. They even tried to blame several serious nongovernmental organizations into Russian espionage,” Aleko Tskitishvili said.

Zaal Anjapirdze spoke about information gap between population and nongovernmental sector. 

“Low trust has many causes. Civil sector cannot properly demonstrate its capabilities. They even cannot present their service to the society. NGOs have weak communication with population and the latter is poorly informed about their activities. Media does not spend time on covering the activities of civil sector and consequently, the population is informational vacuum,” said Anjaparidze and added that when society lacks information, it is easy to disseminate false information particularly when certain circles tried to discredit NGOs. He believes the only way to restore the trust to civil sector is to establish better communication between NGOs and society.