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WHOLE CAUCASUS FACES LEGITIMACY PROBLEM

Politics

Correspondent: What can you say about post-revolutionary Georgia?

A.R.: There was no any development in the republic before the revolution while now dramatic changed is seen in different areas. Hope came to people. Struggle against corruption and organized crime started. Georgian communities overseas began to participate in political life. Money pocketed once was seized though there is still a question whether it was done in legitimate way or not. The authorities’ policy on conflict regions was negative. For these regions, the power transfer doesn’t mean solution but transformation of the conflicts.

Correspondent: How can you portray Georgian president Mikhail Saakashvili?

A.R.: He is a leader enjoying many people’s confidence. I am critical about his perception of conflicts and about his policy on human resources, in particular, the foreign minister appointment.

Correspondent: Does Saakashvili represent Georgian people and express their point of view?

A.R.: Political elite in Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan mostly expresses outside stance. I can’t threat it positively. I view it as intellectual crisis. We pursue a policy imposed from the outside and became a club of puppets. Legitimacy is at very low level in the whole Caucasus. I think there can be 100-percent legitimacy in the course of elections and zero legitimacy just two months later. Saakashvili expressed people’s opinion but I find his today’s legitimacy insufficient.

Correspondent: How can you explain that?

A.R.: For example, South Ossetia’s president Kokoyta says “we want to unite with North Ossetia”. He doesn’t take into account opinion of the community he wants to run as a president. Saakashvili as well doesn’t take into consideration public opinion in Abkhazia and Ossetia.

Correspondent: Does it apply also to Javakhk?

A.R.: It applies to the whole Georgia.

Correspondent: Has Saskashvili a firm policy on Javakhk integration in Georgia.

A.R.: There is some policy but without a real resource for implementing it. It is also the issue of human resources policy. Minorities should be involved in governing process and in legislative and executive institutions.