1.21 抗议者与总统皆亟需支持.docxVIP

【1.21】

1.21每日一篇|熊猫外刊精读

Georgia:Keepitonyourmind

The?protesters?andthepresidentneedsupport

【1】GEORGIAWASonceseenasavitalislandofdemocracyintheCaucasus.AyearagotheEuropeanUnionstillhopedto?fasten?ittotheWest,formallyrecognisingitinDecember?2023?asa?candidate?forfullmembership.Sincethen,almosteverythinghasgonewrong.PandaForeignMagazineIntensiveReading:RespectforOriginality,PiracyMustBePunished

【2】First,inMay,the?ruling?GeorgianDreampartypassedalawrequiringorganisationsthat?received?moneyfromabroadto?register?as“foreign?agents”,atrickusedinRussiaandinHungary,underthe?autocratic?ViktorOrban,to?harass?pro-democracy?outfits.GeorgianDreamisledbya?reclusive?billionaire-oligarch,BidzinaIvanishvili,whomadeafortuneinMoscowinthe?1990sbeforereturninghome.Hehastriedtopositionhiscountryin?equipoise?betweenRussiaandtheWest,buthasfoundhimselfevermore?firmly?underVladimirPutin’s?thumb.

【3】TheEUsaidinMaythatthenewlawlookedasifGeorgiawerewrigglingoutofitspre-membership?promises?toreform,notleastbecausethenew?conditions?wouldhamstringindependentelection?monitors.AndthegeneralelectioninOctoberwasindeedfarfromfair.Plausibleclaimsof?ballot-rigging,?biased?statemedia,?threats?toban?opposition?parties?andthe?intimidation?of?voters?werewellenough?documented?fortheEuropean?parliament?torejecttheresultandcallforafreshpoll.Georgia’spresident,SalomeZourabichvili,alsocalledtheelection?illegitimate.

【4】GeorgianDream?responded?onNovember?28thby?suspending?thecountry’s?accession?talkswiththeEU,?triggering?vast?demonstrations?inthecapital,Tbilisi,andmanyothercitiesbesides.Thepolicehave?responded?with?beatings?and?arrests.AmnestyInternationalsaysithas?verified?“numerous?instances?of?torture?andotherill-treatment,severalofwhichalso?revealed?theorganisedand?systemic?natureoft