IYDU Statement on Georgia During its 2013 Tanzania Board Meeting the International Young Democrat Union (IYDU) issued the following statement:- The International Young Democrat Union (IYDU) has grave concerns following recent political developments in Georgia. Following Georgia’s first ever peaceful change of government, the IYDU has looked on in horror at the new government’s violent consolidation of power as it has taken control over all the branches of government. Since the October 2012 elections, the IYDU has witnessed throughout Georgia the violent takeover of local government offices which has resulted in the change in the composition of over two thirds of municipalities. In number of cases, local government buildings were seized and vandalized by violent mobs of government supporters. Shockingly, approximately 100 UNM members and former officials (the member body of the IDU and the IYDU) have been arrested since elections on trumped up charges. These arrests are of a purely political nature as charges are dropped if the accused later becomes a government supporter. Government supporters have physically assaulted UNM members of parliament in Kutaisi 19 December 2012 and in Tbilisi on 8 February 2013. On 12 May 2013 the violent perpetrators of these attacks were either released on a small bail of EUR40 or not detained at all. Continuing the outrage, in December 2012 the government released from gaol members of far-right organizations, who they spuriously described as “political prisoners”, who on 17 May 2013 then went on to lead and participate in a violent counter demonstration against a small group protesting discrimination directed against the LGBT community. Ashamedly these violent protesters were not detained by the police despite PM Ivanishvili’s public condemnation of the violence. Georgia’s former Prime Minister and UNM Secretary General (and likely contender for 2013 Presidential Elections), Ivane Merabishvili, was arrested on 21 May 2013 by the government ruling with emergency powers. Mr Merabishvili has been sentenced to pre-trial detention despite the evidence against him being weak and there being no risk of him fleeing. In addition to these outrageous abuses of government power against their political enemies, government officials and the members of parliament continue to make statements of their desire to destroy UNM as an opposition. On 20 July 2013 as the UNM was attempting to hold its 4th Regional Conference of the Presidential Primary in the city of Zugdidi, an angry mob mobilized by the Georgian Dream tried to blockade the conference venue and prevent delegates and candidates from participating in the UNM’s Primary Debates. Shockingly, the UNM candidates, delegates and organizing staff were attacked by the government’s supporters with stones, sticks and bottles. The few who were arrested for this outrage were soon released having been issued with EUR 40 fines. The IYDU condemns in the most strong of terms the political violence in Georgia, which appears to be orchestrated by the Georgian government against its political enemies, and calls on the Georgian government to immediately cease all political persecution of its political opponents. The IYDU encourages Georgia to continue on the path to a robust democracy.
Posted on: Fri, 30 Aug 2013 14:34:33 +0000
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