Public Television Reform: A Peace Offering for Georgia's Opposition?

Plans to reorganize Georgia's public television are being touted as a sign of a breakthrough in the continuing stand-off between the government and a nine-party opposition coalition.

In response to opposition demands, Acting President Nino Burjanadze on January 15 agreed to form a new, independent board of trustees and to appoint a new head of Georgian Public Broadcasting to ensure the company's editorial independence. Burjanadze has proposed that both government and opposition members jointly select board members for the state-financed company, though details have not yet been released.

The opposition coalition, which lambasted public television's election coverage as biased in favor of Mikheil Saakashvili, who won a second presidential term in the January 5 vote, has hailed the decision as a major victory "for society." [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].

"The money to support Public Broadcasting comes from the taxpayer's pocket and, therefore, it should serve the people, not the political elite," former presidential candidate Levan Gachechiladze, told a Tbilisi rally outside the station's headquarters on January 14.

Discussions with the government reportedly continue on another seven matters, though Gachechiladze, who was backed by the nine-party coalition, has been quick to stress that the conversations do not indicate a pending rapprochement. The Gachechiladze team's refusal to recognize Saakashvili as duly elected remains the largest stumbling block. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].

"Talking does not mean reaching an arrangement," the former candidate told public television on January 15.

Meanwhile, the opposition demands continue. Appearing on public television on January 14, Kakha Kukhava, one of the senior members of the pro-Gachechiladze opposition coalition, called for criminal charges to be brought against Central Election Commission Chairman Levan Tarkhnishvili for alleged vote fraud. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. Calls have also gone out for parity representation on all election commissions, for monitoring of law enforcement organizations, opposition oversight of the state audit chamber and reform of a judicial-system monitoring group.

Nor does the battle over Georgian Public Broadcasting's future seem to be entirely resolved. The company's management has dismissed criticism that its election broadcasts ignored the opposition, maintaining that the channel is not obligated to provide live air-time to Gachechiladze and his supporters. "Our paramount standard is that independence from the government doesn't mean dependence on the opposition," Public Broadcasting Executive Director Tamar Kintsurashvili told reporters on January 14.

With the December 2007 closure of pro-opposition Imedi TV, opposition candidates had two options left for national or near-national television coverage of their events aside from Georgian Public Broadcasting – the privately owned, pro-government broadcasters Rustavi-2 and Mze, both owned by the same company.

Despite the charges of bias regularly leveled at Georgian Public Broadcasting by the opposition, independent journalist Ninia Kakabadze, a member of the watchdog Media Council, argues that the state-financed station has been the most balanced of all three broadcasters in its campaign coverage. "The real problem is Rustavi-2 and Mze," Kakabadze commented. "However, unfortunately, the public broadcaster bore the brunt, as it's supposed to be accountable to the general public."

As have both pro-government and opposition politicians, Kakabadze argues that a non-partisan executive board would be needed to make the public television reform work.

Meanwhile, one other member of the Media Council asserts that the opposition's interests have already begun to move on from demands for a run-off.

Analyst Ghia Nodia of the Caucasus Institute for Piece, Democracy and Development believes that the focus now is on upcoming parliamentary elections, slotted for April or May 2008. "The opposition is facing a dead end," Nodia said. "They stage rallies and protests, but there is nothing more they can do unless they act in violation of the constitution, so it's time for a compromise."

For now, though, even as threats of daily demonstrations have subsided, opposition coalition leaders show little public sign of agreeing with that view.

Plans are reportedly still in place for a demonstration in Tbilisi to coincide with Georgia's January 20 presidential inauguration. Citing limited space in the downtown area, the Tbilisi city government has already denied protestors a permit, however. Instead, the demonstration will be held in the capital's hippodrome, outside the immediate city center.

Hints by Saakashvili that his government could try to include opposition members in some format have also been curtly dismissed as "laughable."

"The united opposition is very firm and consistent," leading Gachechiladze supporter Davit Usupashvili told Rustavi-2 on January 16. "We do not intend to occupy any government posts."