As members of the Georgian opposition and civilians continue to fight for a democratic and free Georgian state, the ruling Georgian Dream party has intervened. Over the past month, Georgian Dream has passed legislation that seeks to “restrict freedoms” within the country, such as the right for citizens to protest and organize. The laws are deliberately being created to undermine the work of the Georgian opposition and citizens, and it is an attempt to subject the country to the will of Georgian Dream.
Unsurprisingly, the effort was met with stiff resistance. In response to Georgian Dream’s efforts to suppress Georgian freedoms, thousands of Georgians gathered in the street to protest the ruling party in the Georgian Parliament.
It is not the first time Georgians have demonstrated against Georgian Dream either. For years, members of the Georgian opposition and citizens voiced their opinions on how Georgian Dream is running the country. They have called for their country to establish closer ties with the European Union, reform the government, and allow greater democratic freedoms.
But Georgian Dream has ignored these demonstrations. Instead, it has pursued legislation that has seen the country scale back on its anticorruption reforms. The ruling party in Georgia has also opted to suspend Georgia’s bid to join the European Union. This was met by further protests and demonstrations, which lasted several months.
Now, Georgian Dream is seeking to further undermine opposition efforts. For example, during the recent winter months, Georgian Dream ordered security forces to use “tear gas and water cannons to disperse demonstrators.” Hundreds of protestors were arrested by Georgian police. In addition, the ruling party in Georgia has imposed stiff financial penalties on the protestors. Georgian security forces have even used “facial recognition technology to identify protestors and issue hefty fines.”
But the attempts to suppress Georgian freedoms have not ended there. According to opposition members, Georgian security forces have conducted “raids on activists’ homes.” Some Georgians have even received “anonymous threats over the phone,” where Georgians have been told not to protest against the government.
By using these tactics, Georgian Dream is hopeful that this will prevent members of the opposition and Georgian citizens from gathering. The ruling party in Georgia is also trying to use fear tactics to undermine the opposition.
But Georgian Dream’s forceful efforts have been unsuccessful. Instead, it has encouraged and inspired Georgians to continue gathering to protest the actions and decisions made by Georgian Dream. This has further upset the ruling party in Georgia.
Now, Georgian Dream has adopted a new tactic. According to Transparency International (TI) Georgia, the Georgian government has begun targeting government officials and government officials. In a recent report by TI Georgia, around 700 civil servants from the Georgian Ministry of Defense, Tbilisi City Hall, the Justice House, and the Central Election Commission have been dismissed from their posts. Georgian Dream cited “political grounds” as why hundreds of civil servants had lost their jobs.
There are a few reasons why this may have occurred. First, TI Georgia suggested that Georgian Dream may seek to “fully bring [the] public service under the party’s control.” Dismissing individuals who have spoken out against Georgian Dream’s policies could allow the party to fill the empty positions with party loyalists.
Second, there are signs that TI Georgia has attempted to strengthen its control over the public sector by reducing the freedoms of various agencies. For example, the TI Georgia report stated that Georgian Dream has worsened legal protections for public servants, and that the ruling party had also abolished several public service reforms, thus creating a more challenging working environment. In addition, Georgian Dream has created various legislative artificial barriers for civil servants. This has made the work situation less desirable.
Finally, outside of public service, Georgian Dream has targeted nonprofit organizations and independent media outlets in Georgia. According to a recent report by Eurasianet, the ruling party in Georgia has taken steps to “cut off revenue streams” to nonprofits and independent media outlets with international donors or grants. Georgian Dream has falsely accused these organizations of having interests “against the Georgian people and the Georgian state,” but it is yet another attempt to crack down on Georgian society and submit organizations to their will.
These actions and developments taken by Georgian Dream are serious. But fortunately, members of the Georgian opposition and Georgian citizens will not back down. Numerous members of the opposition, citizens, and various organizations have vowed to continue fighting for their freedoms, democracy, and a stronger, independent Georgia.
No one is certain how the situation will unfold in Georgia. The government is making it harder for citizens to organize and protest Georgian Dream’s actions, and the ruling party is doing everything possible stay in power.
Despite these tactics, the Georgian opposition and citizens remain committed to their cause. They are determined to see their country prosper, and they will do everything they can to ensure that they have a prosperous and strong nation. Time will tell how the Georgian opposition’s efforts will fare.
Mark Temnycky is a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center and an accredited freelance journalist covering Eurasian affairs.
