Politics of Georgia: Encyclopedia II - Politics of Georgia - Political conditions

Politics of Georgia - Political conditions

The Abkhaz separatist dispute absorbs much of the government's attention. While a cease-fire is in effect, about 300,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs), who were driven from their homes during the conflict, constitute a vocal lobby. The government has offered the region considerable autonomy in order to encourage a settlement that would allow the IDPs, the majority of whom are ethnic Georgians from the Gali district, to return home. The Abkhaz refused to this solution, as in the case of IDP's return, Georgians would be the majority of population in the region, as it was during more than a century before they were driven from their homes.

Currently, Russian peacekeepers, under the authority of the Commonwealth of Independent States, are stationed in Abkhazia, along with UN observers, but both groups have recently had to restrict their activities due to increased mining and guerrilla activity. Negotiations have not resulted in movement toward a settlement. France, United Kingdom, Germany, Russia and the United States, through the United Nations and the OSCE, continue to encourage a comprehensive settlement consistent with Georgian independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. The UN observer force and other organizations are quietly encouraging grassroots cooperative and confidence-building measures in the region.

The parliament has instituted wideranging political reforms supportive of higher human rights standards, because between 1992 and 2003 (before the Rose Revolution of November 23, 2003) the Georgian human rights situation had been complicated.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Political conditions", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki