Evidence for coercion
December 23rd, 2007 by jibs
From 8 PM till after the midnight Georgian television is soaked with the elections fever coverage. Most broadcasts sum up the daily news — who did what, who said what, and what evidence they provided to back their claims — usual elections stuff. Oddly, I saw one of my acquaintances speak on the pro-government “independent” channel Rustavi 2.
He was attending the meeting with Giorgi Baramidze– the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Euro-Atlantic Integration — basically a close ally of Mikheil Saakashvili.
Unexpectedly for me, my acquaintance (whose name I would rather not disclose) told Rustavi 2 reporters something along these lines: “I am here to support Mikheil Saakashvili and reject the bought up opposition”.
The next day, against all odds, I met him at a traditional event. After a word or two about general howabouts, I asked him about his position towards the authorities. The answer was beyond what I expected.
He told me that prior to the meeting with Baramidze, the head of his academy instructed everyone to comment favorably on Saakashvili, otherwise dismissal would follow. “I was told to say something good about the government,” he told me, “or else I wouldn’t be a student any longer”.
More interesting is how it was that Rustavi 2 necessarily ask him the question. Its very simple: he is an A-student purposely placed in the front aisle, who just happened to be interviewed by the “independent” Rustavi 2 television. This say much about the unbiased coverage, let alone coercion.
dam Says
I find it remarkable that, in spite of numerous claims of intimidation, the ruling party can continue this behavior, unchecked. I suppose it is possible because they can simply refute any accusation as absurd or preposterous and that seems to settle the matter. As an outsider, my opinion is that no one is believable. The old joke: Q - How do you know they are lieing? A - Their lips are moving, seems to apply. It also reminds me of something a friend once advised me to do when confronted with an uncomfortable issue - admit to nothing, deny everything, make counter-accusations. Little did he know that he was describing how things work in Georgia. Character and integrity are in short supply.
Dec 27th, 2007 at 9:35 am