November – The Opposition Reignites
With the Russian withdrawal from Georgia mostly complete, the opposition was again in full gear against the government of President Mikhail Saakashvili.
An off-year election started on Nov. 3 for two seats in parliament. The two seats had been won last year by delegates of the United Opposition who have refused to take their seats in protest.
The ruling party has refused to take part in the election, and ironically so have some opposition parties. The Labourite Party called on the population to boycott the off-year parliamentary elections and to show their unity by demonstrating on the streets on Nov. 7.
Opposition leaders from parties with no representation in Parliament have given the government until April 9, 2009 to meet their demands. Their demands include simultaneous parliamentary and presidential elections next spring, the release of all political prisoners and freedom of the press.
They will continue to stage protests until their demands are met. The opposition parties with representation in parliament have criticized these actions as being disruptive to a country under siege.
Nearly 10,000 protesters took to the streets on Nov. 7, marking the one-year anniversary of the government crackdown on protesters with rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannon.
Two opposition parties, the Republican and Christian Democrats, refused to participate—calling on the country to continue to show solidarity against the Russian invasion. They argued that early elections would only play into the hands of the Russians who want to sow discord in the country.
The crowds were much smaller than last year, a great disappointment to the opposition forces. But it reflects the most recent polls that show President Saakashvili would easily win 52 percent of the popular vote if elections were held today. That was up from 34 percent prior to the conflict.
Western democracies also began to offer criticism of Georgia concerning the conflict with Russia. They were careful to emphasize that they accused Russia of provoking the conflict, but were also critical of Georgia's invasion of South Ossetia.
A Nov. 4 report from Human Rights Watch noted that Georgia used a large number of cluster munitions—a weapon that disperses small projectiles within a football-field area—among civilian populations. This was in direct contradiction to Georgia's claim that their attack was simply defensive.
The report also noted many civilian buildings, including hospitals, were destroyed by Georgian forces in South Ossetia. By the end of the month, President Saakashvili admitted that Georgia had started the conflict, but that it was necessary for their survival.
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