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Georgia: Renaissance or Revival Party; size; orientation; political representation; leadership; treatment

References to a party called “Renaissance” in Georgia are very scarce among sources consulted. One report found by the Research Directorate noted that one Aslan Abashidze led the “Georgian Renaissance Party” (Perceptions June-Aug. 1996). However, Abashidze is more commonly referred to as the leader of the “Revival” political party (Eurasianet.org 21 Jan. 2003), which is variously called the Union of Democrat Revival party (ICCC 1999; ibid. 1998), the Democratic Revival Union of Georgia (IRI 17 Aug. 2002), the “Revival” Union Party (AGUR) (CIA World Factbook 2002 6 Mar. 2002), the Revival of Georgia party (CACA 12 Apr. 2000) and the Revival Bloc (EFDS June 2000).

Revival is based in Batumi (ICCC 1998; Europa 2002 2002, 1728; Political Parties of the World 2002, 204), the capital of the Autonomous Republic of Ajaria (Adjaria, Adzharia) where Abashidze is currently the head of its Supreme Council (Georgia 10 Oct. 2001). Irakly Areshidze of Johns-Hopkins University's Central Asia and Caucasus Institute opined in a 2003 Eurasianet.org essay that Abashidze's “authoritarian” control of the Autonomous Republic of Ajaria provided Revival its political support where “it regularly wins 90 to 97 percent of the vote” (Eurasianet.org 21 Jan. 2003).

With respect to membership, Revival reported 80,000 members to the International Centre for Civil Culture (ICCC) in 1998 while Europa 2002 noted that it had approximately 200,000 members in 2002 (1728).

The International Republican Institute (IRI) lists Revival as a having a centre-right orientation (17 Aug. 2002), while another source reports that it was united under the electoral bloc the All-Georgian Union for Revival (Sruliad Sak'art'velos Aghordzinebis Kavshiri, SSAK) in a bid to defeat the ruling party of Eduard Shevardnadze's Citizen's Union of Georgia (CUG) (EFDS June 2000). The SSAK also included the Union of Georgian Traditionalists, the Socialist Party of Georgia, a former Communist Party leader and “XXI Century,” a party consisting of supporters of former President Zviad Gamsakhurdia (ibid.; Europa 2002 2002, 1729). Although one report indicated a “strained” relationship between Revival and current President Shevardnadze (RFE/RL 26 Nov. 2002), in 2003 Revival reportedly began working with the CUG, a relationship described as an “alliance” (Eurasianet.org 21 Jan. 2003).

According to Irakly Areshidze, “[w]hile technically in opposition, Revival's true intentions on the national political scene have always been to preserve Abashidze's Adjarian fiefdom (in which he wields near-absolute power)” (ibid.). Abashidze himself is described as having pro-Russian loyalties (CACA 12 Apr. 2000) but without aspirations for national leadership (Eurasianet.org 21 Jan. 2003). According to Electionsworld.org, the SSAK won 25.2 per cent of the votes during the 1999 parliamentary elections, which translated to 64 of 235 seats (18 Jan. 2003), while Revival was represented in three parliamentary factions and by 34 parliamentarians in 2002 (IRI 17 Aug. 2002).

In addition to Abashidze, the IRI lists the following party officers: Osiko Gvarishvili (General Secretary), Temur Megrelishvili (Political Secretary), Jemal Gogitidze (Deputy Chairman) and Giorgi Targamadze (Tbilisi chairman) as well as numerous regional chairmen (ibid.). Abashidze abandoned his parliamentary seat in 2000 (Political Parties of the World 2002, 204) and in 2002 Revival's faction leader in Georgia's parliament was reportedly Gogitidze (RFE/RL 17 Oct. 2002).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

References

Central Asia and Caucasus Analyst (CACA). 12 April 2000. Zurab Tchiabirashvili. “Shevardnadze Waltzes With a Scarecrow in Presidential Elections.” <http://www.cacianalyst.org/April%2010/SHEVARDNADZE.htm> [Accessed 10 Feb. 2003]

CIA World Factbook 2002. 6 March 2002. “Georgia.” <http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/> [Accessed 7 Feb. 2003]

Electionsworld.org. 18 January 2003. “Elections in Georgia.” <http://www.electionworld.org/georgia.htm> [Accessed 7 Feb. 2003]

Eurasianet.org. 21 January 2003. Irakly Areshidze. “Georgia's Mounting Opposition.” <http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/rights/articles/eav012103.shtml> [Accessed 10 Feb. 2003]

Europa World Year Book 2002. 2002. Vol. 1. London: Europa Publications.

European Forum for Democracy and Solidarity (EFDS). June 2000. “Political Parties in Georgia.” <http://www.europeanforum.bot-consult.se/cup/georgia/parties.htm> [Accessed 20 May 2002]

Georgia. 10 October 2001. Georgian Parliament. “The Autonomous Republic of Ajaria.” <http://www.parliament.ge/GENERAL/C_D/Ajaria.html> [Accessed 10 Feb. 2003]

International Centre for Civic Culture (ICCC) [Tbilisi, Georgia]. 1999. Political Parties of Georgia Directory 1999. <http://www.itic.org.ge/iccc/pages/pdf/eng-ppg99.pdf> [Accessed 21 May 2002]

_____. 1998. Political Parties of Georgia Directory. <http://www.itic.org.ge/iccc/pages/pdf/eng-ppg98.pdf> [Accessed 21 May 2002]

International Republican Institute (IRI) [Tbilisi]. 17 August 2002. “Democratic Revival Union of Georgia.” <http://www.iri.org.ge/eng/politparties/democratic.htm> [Accessed 7 Feb. 2003]

Perceptions: Journal of International Affairs. June-August 1996. Vol. 1, No. 2. Paul B. Henze. “Russia and the Caucasus.” < http://www.mfa.gov.tr/grupa/percept/i2/I2-4.htm>

Perceptions is a publication of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Political Parties of the World. 2002. 5th Edition. Edited by Alan J. Day. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group.

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 26 November 2002. Liz Fuller. “Socialists, Former Georgian Ruling Party Align.” (Georgia Daily Digest 26 Nov. 2002/Eurasianet.org) <http://www.eurasianet.org/resource/Georgia/hypermail/200211/0058.shtml> [Accessed 10 Feb. 2003]

_____. 17 October 2002. Liz Fuller. “Georgian President Warns Adjar Leader Whose Supporters Retaliate.” (Georgia Daily Digest 17 Oct. 2002/Eurasianet.org) <http://www.eurasianet.org/resource/Georgia/hypermail/200210/0045.shtml> [Accessed 10 Feb. 2003]

Topics: Political parties,