GEORGIA: US to Sanction Ivanishvili & more – 26th Sep 2024

Gamarjobat from Gracia! This is the Rorshok Georgia Update from the 26th of September twenty twenty-four. A quick summary of what's going down in Georgia.

Two high-ranking officials from the U.S. government told the radio network Voice of America that the U.S. had prepared a package of sanctions against Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder of Georgian Dream, or Otsneba. They asked to remain anonymous.

They said that these sanctions are a response to Ivanishvili's close ties with Russian oligarchs and his efforts to make the Georgian market more accessible to them. The same sources also stated that Ivanishvili is collaborating with Russian Intelligence agencies.

Ivanishvili is not the only one facing potential restrictions. According to a statement from a European Commission spokesperson given to digital newspaper Politico, there is a possibility that Georgia's visa-free travel to the EU could be suspended. This might happen due to a violation of responsibilities Georgia has undertaken under the visa liberalization scheme, including the protection of fundamental freedoms and the prevention of discrimination.

Paweł Herczyński, the EU Ambassador to Georgia, echoed this sentiment. He expressed hope that the parliamentary elections scheduled for the 26th of October will be peaceful and fair. However, he warned that if the political situation in Georgia becomes more unstable, the EU will use its leverage, including the suspension of visa-free travel.

In more news about Ivanishvili, in our previous show, we reported that he called for an apology to the separatist region of South Ossetia for the two thousand eight Russian–Georgian war. This seems to be in line with Otsneba’s narrative about conflict being exacerbated by the United National Movement or Natsebi. Ivanishvili implied that the apology would be a first step in the process of Georgia’s reunification with Abkhazia and South Ossetia. This did not go unnoticed in the Russian Duma, the lower house of parliament.

Konstantin Zatulin, a Russian Duma Deputy, said that Abkhazia and South Ossetia will not be returned to Georgia, stating, "That ship has sailed." Russia has recognized the two separatist regions as independent countries, and Zatulin emphasized that there are no intentions to reverse that recognition.

The relationship between the U.S. and the Georgian government continues to deteriorate. This week Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze attended the 79th session of the UN General Assembly in the United States. He had also planned to attend a traditional reception hosted by President Biden for world leaders and senior officials; however, his invitation was cancelled. An embassy representative stated that the Biden administration declined to meet with the Georgian delegation, citing antidemocratic actions, disinformation, and negative rhetoric toward the U.S.

Last week, Salome Zourabishvili attempted to encourage two opposition parties, Lelo and For Georgia or Sakartvelostvis, to unite under a single umbrella for the elections. Despite initial positive signs, such as party leaders, Khazaradze and Ghakharia, meeting at the presidential palace and expressing a willingness to unify, the negotiations stalled and ultimately failed.

On Monday, the 23rd, Zourabishvili held a briefing and acknowledged that her proposal to unite two parties was risky, but she felt compelled to initiate the process nonetheless. She said that a lack of political culture in Georgia, which leads politicians to view compromise as a sign of weakness, and a pervasive atmosphere of distrust exacerbated by conspiracy theories contributed to the failure of the unification.

Next, opposition parties continue to grow and add new prominent members. On Wednesday, the 25th, Giorgi Margvelashvili, the fourth President of Georgia, joined the Coalition for Stronger Georgia. This coalition includes several parties, the largest is Lelo.

Margvelashvili was elected president in twenty thirteen as a member of the ruling party, Otsneba. However, his relationship with the party and its leader, Bidzina Ivanishvili, quickly soured, leading to his serving only one term. Interestingly, the candidate Otsneba later supported for the presidency was Salome Zourabishvili, who has since become a prominent critic of the current government.

Speaking of the ruling party, Otsneba’s new election posters have sparked controversy. The posters feature images of bombed Ukrainian buildings on one side and famous Georgian landmarks on the other. The text beneath them reads, "No to war, choose peace," suggesting that Otsneba is the only party capable of keeping Georgia out of conflict. Even for Otsneba, which has a history of aggressive and dehumanizing election posters, this seems like a new low. President Zourabishvili expressed her outrage on Facebook, calling the posters "shameful and insulting to Georgia’s culture, traditions, and history."

As the election campaign continues, outbursts of violence have become increasingly common. On Friday, the 20th, Ani Tsiteladze, a Natsebi member and an MP, reported that she was attacked in Zugdidi. She said that she was attacked when she was distributing election flyers with some other party activists. She added that the attackers were affiliated with Otsneba. The police have launched an investigation under the charge of assault, but no one has been detained so far.

More news about the parliamentary elections as Edison Research has published the results of the election survey conducted from the 1st to the 15th of September.

Otsneba remains the largest party, with 32% of support. Natsebi’s coalition is the largest opposition party, garnering 20%. The third position is occupied by the Coalition for Change with 11%. Gakharia’s Sakartvelostvis ranks fourth with 10%, while the fifth place with 9% goes to Coalition Strong Georgia.

On Wednesday, the 18th Georgia was shocked by the news about the murder of celebrity and public figure Kesaria Abramidze. She was a transgender woman who garnered popularity through a decade of TV appearances. She was murdered just a day after the parliament passed anti-LGBTQ laws. NGOs and representatives of civil society said that this type of violence is a direct result of the homophobic and transphobic narratives driven by Otsneba.

In other news, according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, from the 30th of September, Georgian citizens will be able to travel to Hong Kong visa-free. Visa-free travel to China has been available for Georgians since the 28th of May. Still, since Hong Kong is a special administrative region, an additional agreement was necessary.

This development marks another step toward closer relations between Georgia and China. As Georgia's relationships with the Western world have become increasingly unstable, it appears that China is seizing the opportunity to expand its influence in the

Caucasus.

On that note about traveling, British Airways is returning to Georgia. According to United Airports of Georgia, this is the result of a year-long series of negotiations that will connect the capitals of Georgia and Great Britain. Direct flights will be available starting from the 30th of May next year. The airline previously operated in Georgia but left the market in twenty thirteen.

If British Airways is too costly for you, there’s more good news. Budget airline EasyJet has also decided to enter the Georgian market. This will be the company's first venture into Georgia, marking its easternmost destination to date. EasyJet will begin local operations next April, connecting Tbilisi not only with Britain’s Luton Airport but also with Geneva and Milan.

And for our last story, we might have thought that the days when Georgia the country and Georgia the US state were confused with each other were behind us. However, Donald Trump’s new campaign ad for this crucial swing state has proven that the struggle isn’t over yet

The stock image depicting a mountain view with a flowering rhododendron in the foreground was used in the ad. That location might be unfamiliar to the residents of the southern state, but it is quite familiar to the inhabitants of Svaneti, Georgia's mountainous region, where the picture was taken.

This photo seems to be quite popular in the U.S., as it is also used—albeit correctly—on the State Department's website dedicated to travel advice for the Republic of Georgia.

Aaand that’s it for this week!

Thanks for sticking around for this episode of the Rorshok Georgia update! If you’ve got questions, thoughts, or just want to say hi, reach out at info@rorshok.com. Don’t forget to hit subscribe on your favorite podcast app!

Nakhvamdis!