Stay out: on Georgia’s politics

The inauguration of Mikheil Kavelashvili, a former football player, as the President of Georgia, could deepen the political crisis in the Caucasian country which has seen back-to-back street protests and crackdowns. Mr. Kavelashvili, a conservative leader and a critic of the West, was opposed by the country’s opposition and his predecessor Salome Zourabichvili. Ms. Zourabichvili, who had said earlier that “there would be no inauguration” of Mr. Kavelashvili, announced her leaving office “voluntarily”, slamming his swearing in as “a parody”. She later joined opposition protests outside Parliament. The latest spell of the crisis goes back to the October legislative elections. The ruling conservative Georgian Dream party, with a foreign policy that was sceptical of the West and a call for stronger ties with Russia and China, won. The opposition, which said the elections were fraudulent, demanded a re-election, but the Georgian Dream went ahead with government formation. Among those who denounced the legitimacy of the elections was the pro-western Ms. Zourabichvili. A sitting President’s support for anti-government protests challenging the veracity of the polls was a testimony to the deep political divisions. But undeterred, the ruling party picked Mr. Kavelashvili as President under a new system of electoral college, consisting of lawmakers from Parliament and other regional and local assemblies.

The crisis in Georgia looks like a political tug of war between a ruling party and its opponents. But the actual situation is more complicated. Georgia, a former Soviet Republic, is strategically important, sharing a border with Russia. In 2008, months after it was promised NATO membership, Russia invaded it in the name of defending two breakaway regions. Leaders in Tbilisi have generally been pro-western. But this trend changed with the rise of Georgian Dream, founded in 2012 by billionaire businessman Bidzina Ivanishvili. Tbilisi’s rapprochement with Moscow was not received well in western capitals. When allegations of election fraud emerged, the West immediately backed the opposition. In November, amid tensions with the West, the Georgian government suspended talks to join the EU until 2028, triggering more street protests, reminiscent of the 2014 pro-western Maidan protests in Ukraine. Last week, the U.S. imposed sanctions on Mr. Ivanishvili. Georgia’s rulers say the West is pushing the country into a conflict with Russia which they do not want. They also point out that the country’s Constitutional Court has rejected a lawsuit filed by Ms. Zourabichvili, seeking the annulment of the election results. Georgia’s politicians should resolve the differences among themselves. They should be mindful of the tragedy of Ukraine and seek common ground in bringing the political crisis to an end. The best external players can do is to stay out of Georgia’s politics.