Expert Ramaz Sakvarelidze on Mrs. Clinton’s visit to Georgia

We began our interview with expert Ramaz Sakvarelidze with recent hullabaloo about National Exam Center. We’ll remind you that Dimitri Shashkin, Minister of Education of Georgia sacked Maia Miminoshvili, head of National Center.

Q. – Last week sacking of the Head of National Exam Center was the issue triggering much repercussion. There are two versions regarding this issue: according to one, Maia Miminoshvili’s post was sacrificed to political position of her family members but as for the government, they say it was a systemic incompatibility.

R.S. – Minister in this case is a customer and in case ‘an artisan doesn’t work, he must be sacked’. The principle causes doubt because the minister, unlike Miminoshvili, isn’t a professional. Mrs. Maia has proved that she is a professional of highest rank and if we ask people what they prefer – whose will must be decisive, of a professional or non-professional – I think they will choose the first. Thus, it’s the minister who doesn’t fulfill the people’s order. The minister whose mastering of Georgian language leaves much to be desired decides whether to have exam in Georgian or not.
As for the question whether telephone call was the reason for her sacking, I think it might be because the authorities said that a person who is in their ranks shouldn’t attend a meeting. If this is the authorities’ attitude then they might have taken such a step. This, in its turn, is very far from democracy.
Q. – According to Miminoshvili, she was offered an ambassador’s post in Switzerland; then a work in Healthcare ministry. If a person can’t fulfill her function at one post, is the post of an ambassador a punishment?
R.S. – In this episode Miminoshvili turned out to be more state-minded than those who represent the state. Such cases aren’t rare – they don’t send a person abroad  on a diplomatic mission but to get rid of him; at the same time he must be happy – working abroad is pleasant. They also send people to work at ministries in order not to keep them offended. In both cases they have levers to control them. This in its turn means the following: the country has concrete conception in neither direction; nobody is interested who is appointed where and how he performs his duties.
Q. – One more interesting issue, voiced by US Ambassador, is about establishing of ‘Must carry’ principle on cable TVs. It means that cable transit carriers will be obliged to air signals of any interested TV. It must be noted that ‘It Concerns You’ movement addressed Mrs. Hillary Clinton with a request to Libby this issue when she meets Georgian authorities…
R.S. – I doubt that the authorities will envisage Hillary Clinton’s recommendation. Let’s remember the experience that unfortunately the West has with regard to Georgia.
During all this period the West has been speaking about independence of court, freedom of media, problems pertaining to election system…Has even one step been made to solve these problems?! The answer is – no.
Thus, it seems that the West’s position isn’t very important but on the other hand the authorities ‘blame’ Europe for taking desirable-for-them steps, for instance, constitutional changes to enable Ivanishvili participate in elections were allegedly made under the West’s influence; and despite the fact that Ivanishvili refused to participate, the amendment to Constitution was still introduced.
Q. – So, does it seem that Hillary Clinton’s visit won’t yield tangible result? 
R.S. – I don’t know what political repertoire is planned for this meeting but there will be other important issues – Mrs. Clinton herself may turn out not to be a devoted fighter for Georgian democracy. It’s a fact that today when America is requiring from the partners to consolidate around its position with regard to Iran, such a partner as Georgia establishes rather close ties with Iran and isn’t going to review these ties. By the way, Georgia is mentioned as one of the desirable-for-Iran partner countries. On part of Georgia certain political meaning is put in this bifurcation and at the given stage this issue will be more important for Clinton than the fate of Georgian democracy. In case Georgian administration again remains a hazard in these geopolitical processes, retaining of these authorities may turn out not to be desirable for the American side. Democracy may turn out to be the reason of America’s becoming at most critical to Georgian side.