Interviews by: Taso Berulava, Liza Gegechkori, Masho Keldishvili, Elene Mosiashvili and Elene Shvangiradze
The biggest cause of division in Georgian society today is the current political situation and the forthcoming elections. This polarization not only results in disagreements between citizens with opposing views, but also reinforces the idea that unity is impossible. After a tough year, the majoritarian party Georgian Dream and the multiparty opposition are engaged in a pitched battle for Georgians’ votes. Our journalists hit the streets to conduct an informal survey and to try to understand the overall mood of the citizens. The question our journalists asked was intentionally non-confrontational: “Who do you think will win the upcoming elections?” But, as you can see, we received a full spectrum of answers, with many respondents focusing on who they will vote for.
Still Happy with the Georgian Dream
Valeri Khundadze, 44, expressed his opinion that our country has a guaranteed good future if campaign number 41 will win the elections:
“At this point, our country is in a very good place and one of the reasons why we're here is because of this campaign. This campaign is exactly what has led us here and will lead us again towards a better future. This change that is going to happen if the campaign is going to change is not going to be good. Anyone who is trying to convince you otherwise are lost and I assure you that they don't love their country. Any normal Georgian will understand that campaign number 41 is the right choice.”
Maia Zandukeli, 45, tailor, local. When asked the question, she laughed and answered that the only right answer to that question was Georgian Dream. She vocalized that Bidzina Ivanishili and the Georgian Dream party made Georgia better. They were not kidnapping or killing people like the National Movement did and also there was no money problem in her family: everyone had a steady income. She believes
the protests were a calculated move from the opposition to cause chaos in the country.
Things Were Better with Misha
Guram Gelashvili, 55, bus driver, local. When asked who he was giving his vote to, he took a minute or two to answer. He said that the decision was hard because the country is already a complete mess but he finally answered National Movement. He argued that during Misha Saakashvili there was discipline and the only people that were killed were those who got in the way. He also added that the generation does not understand politics and they should spend their evenings studying and not protesting on Rustaveli, which is for nothing.
Georgian Dream is Now a Nightmare, but Who’s Better?
Some anonymous responders commented that they wouldn't be voting for the Georgian Dream, but they weren’t wowed by any other parties and weren't even properly educated about the variety of choices: “ I’m not familiar with a lot of political parties and I don’t have any idea who might win, but I’m staying hopeful that a new government will be formed from these elections,” anticipated by the citizen. Additionally, some expressed their discontent and hostility towards the ruling party: “Despite all the efforts the opposition parties have put into their campaigns and their inclusion of the youth, I think it is obvious that Georgian Dream will once again buy its way into the government,” expressed non-enthusiastically by one of the voters.
A specific part of our surveyed people were quite sure on their stances: a 46-year-old female revealed who she wouldn’t vote for: “Anybody but the Georgian Dream Party. I'm disappointed by their promises and having no change in the country. I will probably be voting for European Georgia because I want a better life for the next generation.” The next participant, a man aged 53, shared: “ I will be voting for Nika Gvaramia’s party since I want to feel safe in my country, without any wars.”
A young couple, Nia and Giorgi expressed frustration with the Georgian Dream: Nia: “I think that campaign number 41 definitely has a chance of winning. As I've seen, a lot of people still think that that's the right choice. Even though I would hate to see them win, I think that our country would go to a very bad place if they did. But I think that the most important thing is change. Even if they do win this election, we can still change our and our country's future in the next election. But I still have hope that we can achieve this change right now. They’ve been making promises to us that they are not keeping, they've been violent and unfair - they have got to go.” Gio: “I don't think I need to add anything more.”
An anonymous, middle-aged man, whom we found shopping in Goodwill, said he is hoping for a change: "The ruling political party failed to fulfill its promises, and during this time, the Western-oriented policy was completely changed towards Russian integration, which is against the interests of the Georgian population. However, it is possible that the elections may be rigged, which could lead to civil unrest."
Manana Kavtaradze, a middle-aged woman, was not too specific with her answer. She said, "Of course, I think freedom of speech and a European future will win, and I hope we never go back to Russia." Though her response was short, it was interesting in its directness. Manana didn’t specifically name the party or candidate she supports, but her words make it clear where her vote is likely to go.
Lelo’s Youth Appeal
We also met a lot of young people who had just turned 18 and it was their first time voting, they were not quite sure who they were voting for, some even weren’t going to the elections. But one girl had an answer: Ekaterine Gelashvili, 18, finished high school in the summer with no current occupation. She said she was voting for the political party Lelo whose leader is Mamuka Khazaradze. She argued that it is a new party and they wouldn't be the same as the Georgian Dream or National movement, so the shift would be good. Also, she mentioned that Khazaradze has children of young age and it would help him make decisions that help this generation. She said that she has to go to university and she doesn’t want her possibilities to be compromised by the decision of an ancient billionaire, also she recalled on the recent murder of transgender women Kesaria Abramidze the day after anti LGBTQ law was accepted. “I spent most of my 12th grade with my classmates on Rustaveli protesting the laws that were compromising us, the next generation, how are we supposed to be the future of this country if we can’t receive education without the propaganda? It is time to change and get matters into our own hands” said Ekaterine. She encourages other young people to go and vote , every vote matters.
The Foreign Perspective: Shades of Trump and Harris?
At last, one foreigner volunteered to participate in the interview. An American girl, Amelia Jones, aged 22. She saw all the protests and was pretty shocked at the bravery of the Georgian people. She compared this current situation in Georgia to the situation in America with Trump and Harris. But the difference is that in America there are two clear options. In Georgia, there are many parties which are neither good nor bad, each one has its pros and cons. She believes that Georgians can still fight for their freedom no matter the outcome of this election. “Georgian people are the strongest people I have seen. Georgia is a small country and for its people, freedom is everything. Georgians will fight for their freedom and they will not get tired,” said Amelia.
And Finally… Optimism?
Giorgi Gurgenidze's answer was even briefer; he simply said that "Georgia will win." This response could be interpreted in different ways.
As demonstrated, there is a lot of unease regarding this topic in Georgian society. There are quite a lot of parties and factions to choose from, but which party actually meets all the requirements, demands, and expectations of the Georgian citizens so we can finally join the European Union? Only time will tell how these elections will actually end and how they will affect our country moving forward.
Edited By: Anthony Schierman
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