Statement of Ethnic Minority Organizations

The recent events in Georgia once again prove the inability of state authorities to establish a dialogue, not only with the opposition, but with the population as well. The slaughter and pursuit of demonstrators, the destruction of the Imedi TV station and suspension of the work of other media outlets, including TV-channels, radio and newspapers, are the last straw for the exhausted patience of Georgia’s population. The inadequate actions of the governing elite regarding the processes undertaken by this regime in the last four years against society—the spreading of fear, psychological pressure and violence— has created a gap between the people and authorities. The methods used by this government, not only on 7th of November when authorities dispersed the demonstration and exerted pressure upon media but also the methods typical of the whole governing period, have resulted in a complete loss of confidence among the public and are absolutely unacceptable in a democratic system. The authorities’ argument that their actions are intended to protect Georgia’s pro-Western orientation from encroachment by other powers provokes irritation in many of our fellow citizens and the opposite reaction from their side.

With this in mind, we, the undersigned, support the initiative to conduct presidential elections expediently, in the space of time allowed by the Constitution, as a way of returning people’s faith that they live in a democratic country, not shaken time to time by coup d'états and revolutions. At the same time, we believe that elections are the way out from the crisis created and will help Georgia to reestablish confidence in international arena. This will only be if the work of all media outlets is resumed and each candidate has the opportunity to conduct a campaign on a scale he considers relevant.

In this situation, great emphasis must be placed on conducting fair, democratic elections, and we think that to guarantee to this a relevant number of observers, especially in the regions compactly settled by minorities where probability of elections falsification is traditionally high, must be included.

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!”