NEWS

NDI Poll: Deterioration of the Economy at the Forefront of People’s Minds; Majority Says Nobody Acts in their Best Interest

Poll results released on Thursday by the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and CRRC Georgia show that Georgians see insuffi cient progress on the top national issues of concern and think the situation regarding poverty, crime, territorial integrity and education has gotten worse in the last 10 years. Public concerns are consistent across political affi liation, signaling opportunities for political parties to work together to address the common needs of Georgia’s citizens.

The new poll fi nds that the majority of Georgians do not think anyone - neither government nor opposition parties - is acting in their best interest. Georgians also remain skeptical of the newly elected parliament’s willingness to address their concerns. More than half of the population (53%) does not believe parliament is passing legislation on issues that matter to them, while 52% do not believe an MP will take action if citizens tell them about problems in their district. Only a third believes that parliament regularly communicates with the public.

“Economic insecurity remains a top priority for the Georgian public and provides a clear direction for government and political parties to respond. A renewed focus on the issues of top concern is required across the political spectrum through government, parliament and local councils,” says Alan Gillam, NDI Georgia Country Director. “The consistency of the public view on these issues should be seen as a call to action for political leaders who have lost the confi dence of the public in representing their interests.”

In light of extreme political polarization, Georgians are supportive of a wide cross-party collaboration. 80% agree that their favorite political party should cooperate with all other political parties in the parliament, even if the views of some parties might be unacceptable to them. This perception is consistent across political affi liation. The majority of Georgians believe that domestic actors are best placed to facilitate mediation between the opposition and the government. A plurality (34%) thinks the Georgian political parties themselves would make best facilitators during negotiations, while 11% consider the president would be a suitable moderator. 18% would look to the international community, believing western partners are needed for negotiations.

“The public have clearly stated that the political parties in Georgia need to work together to resolve these challenges,” Gillam notes. “The need for economic recovery, exacerbated by the pandemic, remains a fundamental challenge in the upcoming period and should focus the minds of government and opposition alike.”

Although living in a democratic state remains important for the majority (92%), only 39% believe Georgia meets this criteria. Further, a plurality of Georgians think Georgia is no longer a beacon of democracy (34%), while 25% says Georgia was never a good example of democracy to begin with. Only 23% of citizens agree that Georgia is a good example of democracy for the neighboring states.

Finally, as Covid-19 continues to dominate the lives of citizens across the world, Georgians praise the government for doing a good job handling the pandemic (50%). What remains alarming is the high level of vaccine hesitancy – 42% said they would not get vaccinated; 29% said they are already vaccinated, 25% said they intend to get a vaccine. Among those who are hesitant, the main reasons are concerns about the quality of the vaccine (38%) and possible side effects for those with pre-existing health conditions (20%). 34% of vaccinated individuals say they will not get a booster, or are undecided about it.

NDI surveys public opinion to help Georgian stakeholders diagnose and address issues of public concern by providing accurate, unbiased and statistically sound data. This poll aims to capture the most relevant information to foster the development of responsive policies and governance. The results refl ect data collected between December 7-13, 2021, through telephone interviews with a nationwide representative sample of Georgia’s adult population, excluding occupied territories, that included 2099 completed interviews. The average margin of error is +/- 1.4%. Respondents were selected using the random-digitdial method. This poll was carried out by CRRC Georgia. NDI’s survey work is funded by UK aid from the British people.

The new poll fi nds that the majority of Georgians do not think anyone - neither government nor opposition parties - is acting in their best interest. Georgians also remain skeptical of the newly elected parliament’s willingness to address their concerns. Source: gov.ge

Corona Updates: Cases Hit Anti-Record in Georgia

BY ANA DUMBADZE

This week, Coronavirus cases in Georgia hit an antirecord, with up to 17,500 new cases seen daily.

Capital Tbilisi, along with the Adjara and Imereti regions, are the hotspots of the rapid virus spread.

On January 23, Tbilisi’s renowned Gold Market was closed after a rise in employee Covid-19 cases and exposure. The Market’s doors are expected to remain shut until February 1.

THE STATISTICS

Georgia reported 15,762 coronavirus cases, 5160 recoveries, and 42 deaths on Tuesday. Tbilisi recorded the highest number of 8357 Covid-19 cases, followed by the Imereti region with 1907 cases, and the Adjara region with 1608 cases.

The country reported 17,530 new cases, 5087 recoveries, and 39 deaths on Wednesday. Tbilisi recorded 9487 cases, followed by Imereti with 1990 cases, and Adjara with 1958 cases.

Georgia reported 17,484 coronavirus cases, 3699 recoveries, and 27 deaths on Thursday. Tbilisi recorded the highest number of 8989 Covid-19 cases within 24 hours, followed by the Adjara region with 2255 cases, and the Imereti region with 2222 cases.

THE VACCINES

not get vaccinated; 29% said they are already vaccinated, 25% said they intend to get a vaccine. Against this background, the Georgian authorities are trying to increase the vaccination rate, this week announcing that citizens over 50 who get Covid-19 booster shots will be gifted 100 GEL.

Head of the National Center for Disease Control and Public Health (NCDC), Amiran Gamkrelidze, said that Omicron strain coronavirus cases were expected to increase in the next fortnight, and that, currently, 90% of confi rmed cases are of the Omicron strain.

He highlighted that of 1600 confi rmed Omicron cases, only 16 patients required hospitalization. The majority of the infected patients were said to be young.

The Minister of Refugees, Labor, Health and Social Affairs, Zurab Azarashvili stated that in the last two weeks, an average of 4300 to 4500 hospital beds have been occupied.

“With Omicron, there is no hospitalization, and the hospitalization rate has reduced from 20% to 4.5%.”

The minister noted there are more than 500,000 doses of Pfi zer left in the country, as well as another million and a half doses of other vaccines. He recognized that they need to work more in this direction.

“In regions where vaccination has been less available, 30 to 40 mobile groups will go and offer vaccination on the spot, simultaneously. We are also launching a communication campaign on vaccination and explaining the benefi ts of immunization. We have also started incentive measures. With all this, we think we will be able to use up the existing 500,000 doses of Pfi zer,” he said.

This week, it was also announced that untested individuals who had had symptoms and were monitored by a GP will receive green passports and be registered on the coronavirus database. "The Ministry issued the relevant normative act - if a person was not tested but had symptoms and contacted 112, and had contact with the family doctor and was under supervision for a certain period, this will be refl ected in the database for them to get a green passport," Azarashvili announced.

Global health experts have said at least fi ve to six billion doses are needed by poorer countries to help protect them against Coronavirus amid the ongoing pandemic.

Importantly, Pfi zer and BioNTech have started clinical trials of a new Covid vaccine which targets the Omicron variant. Based on the same source, the companies plan to test the protection gained from the new vaccine as a booster jab, and as three separate jabs in unvaccinated people.

More than 1400 adults are expected to be enrolled in the trial, which is likely to be run in the United States.

US company Moderna is planning to begin trials of its own Omicron-specifi c shot soon, while Oxford University and AstraZeneca have also started working on a new version of their vaccine.

THE CASES WORLDWIDE

As of Wednesday evening, more than 361.4 million cases of Covid-19 had been reported worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University's coronavirus tracker. The reported global death toll stood at more than 5.6 million. Covid, with the unvaccinated banned from restaurants, non-essential shops, leisure and arts facilities, and where politicians are considering compulsory vaccination.

German Covid protests have been turning nasty in the row over rules and vaccinations, the BBC reported this week. It noted that some of the biggest protests this month have been in eastern Germany and that every week, tens of thousands of Germans take to the streets to demonstrate against the restrictions and vaccination.

“Many protests are peaceful, but others explode into violence, and experts are increasingly worried by the aggressive language and threats aimed at politicians and public fi gures online,” the BBC wrote.

Image source: GETTY IMAGES

THE UK

In England and Scotland, from February 11, Covid travel tests are to be axed for the fully vaccinated. People arriving in England or Scotland from abroad will no longer have to take Covid tests if they are fully vaccinated, it has been confi rmed.

Rules have also been eased for unvaccinated travellers, who will no longer have to take a “day eight” test or selfisolate. However, they will still need pre-departure and “day two” tests.

Most coronavirus restrictions are being lifted in England after the government said its vaccine booster rollout had successfully reduced serious illness and Covid-19 hospitalizations, reported CBC News.

According to the same source, face coverings are no longer required by law anywhere in England, and a legal requirement for Covid-19 passes for entry into nightclubs and other large venues has been scrapped.

AUSTRIA

Austria's lockdown for people not fully vaccinated will end on Monday because the pressure on hospitals has eased, the government said.

RUSSIA

Holocaust Remembrance Day and World Zionist Organization's Support for Israeli House

Continued from page 1

That is why the address of the head of these two infl uential organizations on Holocaust Remembrance Day was something of a historic event. "From Jerusalem, the eternal capital of the Jews, thank you, the Georgian people, for your solidarity to the Jewish nation and Israel,” Hagoel noted. “We address you from the building where the fi rst government of Israel worked, and, today, on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we remember the 6 million Jews who were killed for just one crime - being Jews. We must remember this horrifi c event in the history of Mankind every day, every hour, and learn what scale of disaster we are dealing with.

“I would like to thank the mayors (Oni, Tbilisi), universities (four universities) in Georgia, who honor the memory of the victims of the Holocaust, teach the new generation the history of the Holocaust. They understand that only in this way can the Holocaust be prevented from happening again. Special thanks to Tbilisi City Hall and the City Council (Municipal Assembly) for the construction of the "Israel Park", where a monument to the victims of the Holocaust and Georgian Schindlers will be erected. Thank you for remembering the Holocaust and remembering the righteous who saved the Jews.

“I will also highlight the very important activities of Israeli House in Hasbara - in the direction of public diplomacy, which means supporting Israel and world Jewry and promoting Georgian-Israeli relations.

“I would like to thank my close friend Mr. Itsik Moshe for his 32 years of signifi cant and tireless work for Israel since he became the fi rst representative of our World Jewish Agency in the Soviet Union. It means so much to Israel, and connects Israel with friendly countries. I wish you good luck,” ,” Hagoel concluded.

The tragedy of the Holocaust, the importance of international solidarity, and the deepening of Georgia's ties with the Jewish world and Israel are among the topics that have become the focus of the 32-year work of the Head of the “Israeli House”, Itsik Moshe.

Itsik Moshe, starting from 1989, as the fi rst offi cial representative of Sokhnut in the Soviet Union, began to create a platform for Israeli relations with the countries, on the implementation of which Israeli House has been working for years. Through public diplomacy, it shares true Israel and world Jewry in friendly countries and promotes bilateral ties.

As Moshe noted at the event, the Holocaust must not only be remembered, it is a tragedy to push us towards peaceful coexistence and friendly relations between peoples and countries. This is one of the cornerstones of the Israeli House concept, which has the full support of Israel and infl uential international organizations. It is as a result of such activities that Israeli House has become a leading fi gure in the Israeli political spectrum, the European Association for the Preservation and Promotion of Jewish Culture and Heritage (AEPJ), the World Zionist Organization, European Parliamentary Union "European Alliance for Israel" (EAI), and others.

Itsik Moshe also spoke about the success achieved at the UN, according to which the UN considers the non-recognition of the Holocaust a crime.

The memorial evening was attended by David Bitan, a member of the Knesset from Israel, the head of the friendship group with Georgia, and a lobbyist for World Jews in the Knesset. He greeted the participants of the event and called the annual celebration of this day in Georgia organized by Israeli House “a great human act.”

Former Deputy Speaker of the Knesset, Hilik Bar, who came to Tbilisi especially for this day, also addressed the audience. According to Bar, today, as per traditional, the voice of Georgia has once again joined the voice of the civilized world, which unanimously condemns the great tragedy of the Holocaust, and the persecution and destruction of people on ethnic or other grounds. The Jewish people appreciate the merits of the Georgians who saved the Jews from death during the diffi cult years of the Holocaust.

At the event young Georgian singer, Kristi Japaridze, performed several musical numbers dedicated to Holocaust.

It is noteworthy that with the initiative or support of Israeli House, the history of the Holocaust is being taught in four Georgian universities, Israeli cabinets have been opened, and a monument to the victims of the Holocaust and Georgian Schindler, Sergi Metreveli, has been erected in Oni. With the initiative and signifi cant support of the MP of the Municipality of Samgori, Revaz Sokhadze, Tbilisi City Hall set up “Israeli Park” in the capital, with the support of Israeli House a picture of Anne Frank has been drawn and in May of the current year Memorial of the victims of the Holocaust and Georgian Schndlers will be placed in Tbilisi. Under the leadership of the organization, an unprecedented number of representatives of the Knesset and world Jewry visit Tbilisi every year.

Among the Israeli House’s upcoming plans is a forum against Anti-Semitism to be held in Jerusalem in March; With partner organization the Israel-Georgia Chamber of Business to participate in the London Business Forum on March 14, where one of the main topics is cooperation with Georgia; Under the auspices of the President of Israel and co-organized by Israeli House, April 27 marks Holocaust Remembrance Day in Albania. Further, a memorial to the victims of the Holocaust will be erected in Tbilisi. With the participation of Israeli House, a memorial will be erected in Israel in memory of the Babiar victims and the "Righteous Gentiles" (Hassidei Umot Haolam). Representatives of 10 countries, including the Government of Georgia, will be invited to the event.

Israeli House recently received further international recognition. Itsik Moshe was elected Vice-President of the European Alliance for Israel (EAI), and Israeli House became a member of the board.

Further, the European Association for the Preservation and Promotion of Jewish Cultural Heritage (AEPJ) within the Council of Europe has offered Israeli House membership on the board. The issue will be resolved at the next meeting in Paris in the coming days. At the suggestion of the Ministry of Culture of Georgia and under the auspices of the Council of Europe, the Jewish Cultural Heritage Route in Georgia is being successfully implemented undersupervision of Israeli House.

According to Itsik Moshe, such multifaceted activities are the future of largescale bilateral relations and he says he looks forward to the development of closer relations between Georgia, Israel and world Jewry.

POLITICS A Coalition Government in Georgia – Merits & Flaws

Image Source: Legends Bank

OP-ED BY NUGZAR B. RUHADZE

There is currently a lot of ) talk about having a coalition government in Georgia. Frankly, I haven’t the faintest clue why the presidential republic wasn’t good enough, having been, without any serious exigency, substituted by parliamentary rule. Rumor had it that the then president of the country yearned to stay in power so much that he came up with a ruse to establish a parliamentary government which meant he could, but even today it is not clear how much we benefi ted from the change. We’ve had this form of government for almost 10 years, and we’re still unhappy- so much so, that we want to try a coalition government instead, although still parliamentary.

Let us fi rst look into the advantages and disadvantages of a typical parliamentary republic, within which no political party can fi nd itself in absolute power. This means that governmental tyranny, as happened in the Georgian presidential republic, can never be established. Another good thing might be that a coalition government allows many parties to be united around one universal agenda, which makes the government’s blueprint cogent and transparent for us, the people. A coalition government is usually formed by opposing parties, who must honor a jointly accepted program, thus assisting the electorate to understand the government’s doings. A coalition government will not let one particular person grab a dominant position and impose it on the people. A coalition government allows political groups with various ideological bases to work together to the benefi t of the nation.

This is all good for Georgia! But let us now have a look at some of the features of a coalition government that might not be so good for us. To have a coalition government work successfully, there must be a certain amount of acceptance between the political parties, otherwise, the government will be weakened. How much mutual understanding can we expect within our current political spectrum? Zilch! Coalitions work only in the able hands of a strong leader capable of creating consensus. In Georgia, many politicians claim to be strong leaders, but that is often true only within their own parties, never with the entire political diversity that we have here.

The most salient feature of a coalition government is its unstable character, and this, in Georgia, might pop up at any time due to the utmost disparity of our political forces: No matter how prepared they are to be part of a coalition, there will always be the risk of that coalition falling apart, triggering such an imbalance that we might never again be able to put ourselves back together.

Let’s picture a coalition government in Georgia, where one of the smaller parties gains so much power that it decides to blackmail the government by threatening to bring it down. This will be just about enough to render the government weak and unable to take care of the nation. But in Georgia, the opposing parties can’t come to a consensus on any issue, especially economic ones, thus badly affecting the process of governance.

An additional negative is that we Georgians are prolifi c creators of political parties, and it is likely that regional parties might also multiply and acquire power. If this happens, they will likely present more regional demands, coming to the detriment of national ones.

Plus, decisions in a coalition take a lot of time to be made, which risks Georgia’s procrastinating the solving of many critical problems. And fi nally, in Georgia today, the politicians are busier with conciliation issues than with developmental ones, and it is likely that a coalition government might deepen this negative vector.

Of course, many Western-European nations successfully practice a coalition rule, but Georgia is still at a distance from the standards of that political culture. We are certainly growing, but we are not yet done acquiring the wanted political maturity needed to make it work.