'The people were fighting for freedom, for democracy in the country for their votes. They tried to defend their votes and I am really very happy that this revolution ended without blood.' -- Nino Burjanadze

'There is logical concern that the transfer of power in Georgia has taken place against a background of strong pressure of the use of force. Those who organise and encourage such actions must assume their responsibilities before the Georgian people.' -- Vladimir Putin

'I have never betrayed my people and I am stating now, too, that it is probably better for the president to resign, so all this can end peacefully and there is no bloodshed and no casualties.' -- Eduard Shevardnadze


2 November 2003

Rigged elections cause the population of Georgia to take to the the streets. Three weeks of street protests follow.

22 November 2003

Following three weeks of street protests the people storm the parliament. The unpopular president Eduard Shevardnadze is forced to flee. Nino Burdzhanadze, speaker of the parliament, urges calm, declares herself acting president and that elections will be held.

From his palace, Eduard Shevardnadze declares a state of emergency.

The army and the police refuse to intervene.

23 November 2003

Following threating noises from Russia, the Russian foreign secretary, Igor Ivanov, flies in. The negotiations result in the resignation of Eduard Shevardnadze.

What has gone wrong?

During the breakup of the Soviet Union, Eduard Shevardnadze as Soviet Foreign Secretary, together with
Mikhail Gorbachev, was highly regarded, at least by Western political elites

Shevardnadze took over the presidency of Georgia in 1992, following the breakup of the Soviet Union, he was hailed as a hero. Since then the country has stagnated, and become mired in corruption. The leadership have grown fat, whereas in what was once a prosperous country, over half the country now live below the poverty line according to official World Bank statistics.

Real politik

Georgia, sandwiched between Russia and Turkey, is of strategic importance, both US and Russia have military bases in Georgia. The Baku Ceyan pipeline from the Caspian Sea, will run through Georgia, from the oil rich Caspian region, through Turkey, to the Mediterranean. The World Bank, despite environmental and human rights concerns, has given its approval.

All the former-Soviet Asian republics, have US bases, corrupt authoritarian regimes, which, if nothing else exposes the lies of Bush's desire for democracy. Democracy US style, yes, but not democracy as we know it.

People power

Still to come is the overthrow of the corrupt authoritarian regimes in the former Soviet republics across Central Asia.

A decade ago we saw country after country overthrown by people on the streets. This was followed by the overthrow of the corrupt Serbian government. More recently we have seen the overthrow of the presidency of Argentina last year and only last month, the US-backed president of Bolivia was forced to flee.

But what has been learnt?

The people have the power to go out onto the streets, to change governments, but not yet have they fundamentally changed the political scene. They have yet to take the next, and most decisive step.

What we have seen, is the imposition of democracy US style. The people may have the vote in a ballot (which may or not be rigged), but they are not in charge. In all the ex-Soviet Bloc countries, including Russia, the people, with a few exceptions, are worse off. The countries have been bled to death by western big business, public services left to rot.

The worst example is South Africa. The Blacks may have the vote, but it has proved to be a hollow victory. The government is pursuing a neoliberal agenda far worse than anything envisaged by the minority Africaans under apartheid.

What happens, is that the ruling elite gets toppled, to be simply replaced by a different ruling elite. The proletariat may have a vote, may even have a choice, but it is not a real choice, the choice between political elites accountable to money, not the people. The people may be marginally better off, often they are left worse off than before.

Are the people any better off in the Philipines since people power toppled the corrupt Marcus?

George W Bush has said he wishes to see democracy in the Middle East. This is democracy US style, where countries are opened up to and controlled by international capital. The only role of local elites, is to ease the flow of international capital and to open up the countries to exploitation.

We have seen this during Bush's State visit to England. Whilst hundreds of thousands of protesters were on the streets making the war criminal feel the heat, the real agenda was not what was being said by George W at the State Banqueting Hall in London, but what was happening in Miami at the FTAA talks. What US was unable to achieve at the failed WTO talks at Cancun a month ago, it was trying to achieve for the Americas in Miami.

There are exceptions.

In Argentina, although the presidency has been toppled, the people on the streets are wary of any formal political engagement. Instead they have taken over local areas, factories, formed their own bakeries, organic kitchen gardens, printing presses. Example are also being seen with the Zapatistas in Chiapas (Mexico) and Partido dos Trabalhadores (Brazilian Workers Party) in Porto Alegre (Brazil).

Participatory democracy

Yes, there is a need to topple corrupt governments that are unaccountable to the people, and maybe there is a need for free and fair elections, to provide a framework within which the overall system operates, but as history has shown us, and much for the hopes of Thomas Paine, representative democracy does not and is not working.

We have to have participatory democracy, where the people participate at every level in decision making. Politics is too important to be left to politicians.

We have a situation now in several countries, where due to the turmoil, the time is ripe for the introduction of participatory democracy. It will not be possible in a stable system as the vested interests are far too strong. It has to be when people are looking for new answers, when the system is in a state of flux.

It also has to be across several countries, who set an example to others. It has to be across several countries, to act jointly against the forces of reaction.

The time is right for another reason. We have a growing anti-war and anti-globalisation movement, a disparate movement joined by the wish to see change, to move away from the greed-driven systems that benefit the few at a cost to the many and the environment. The biggest movement since the anti-Vietnam movement and civil rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s.

The difference between then and now, is that lessons have been learnt. The system teetered on the brink, almost toppled, then recovered. It is teetering on the brink again.

Ref

Anti-FTAA protests begin in Miami amidst police harassment, Indymedia, 17 November 2003

Argentina, BVEJ newsletter, July 2003

Argentina Autonomist Project - Piquetera Tour, BVEJ newsletter, July 2003

Baku Ceyan pipeline, BVEJ newsletter, August 2003

Bolivia - Que Se Vayan Todos, BVEJ newsletter, November 2003

Bush Not Welcome!, Indymedia, 19 November 2003

Georgia keeps sights set on West, BBC News on-line, 24 November 2003

Georgia's new leader replaces mentor, BBC News on-line, 24 November 2003

Keith Parkins, Partido dos Trabalhadores, October 2003

Keith Parkins, A sense of the masses - a manifesto for the new revolution, November 2003

Keith Parkins, Zapatistas, September 2003

Keith Parkins, Free Trade Area of the Americas, October 2003

Keith Parkins, New political initiative, Indymedia UK, 16 October 2003

Keith Parkins, New political initiative, Indymedia UK, 20 October 2003

Keith Parkins, Democracy US style, Indymedia UK, 21 November 2003

People power forces Georgia leader out, BBC News on-line, 24 November 2003

Resistance to US Imperialism, Indymedia, 20 November 2003

Stop Bush, BVEJ newsletter, November 2003

UK Protesters Topple Bush (In Effigy); Miami Police Weaponized and Violent, Indymedia, 21 November 2003

WTO, BVEJ newsletter, October 2003

web

 http://www.bakuceyhan.org.uk
 http://www.heureka.clara.net/gaia/
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2003/11/281517.html
 http://www.heureka.clara.net/gaia/democracy.htm