NEWSLINK: Opposition says Georgia vote a choice between “good and evil”

Opposition says Georgia vote a choice between “good and evil” –  Reuters – Margarita Antidz – September 22, 2012 – click here for original article

Reuters covers the campaigns for the October 1 legislative elections in Georgia.

On the heels of the broadcasting of a video of prison inmates being tortured and raped with objects, billionaire “Georgian Dream” opposition leader Bidzina Ivanishvili is calling the election a choice between good and evil.

Protests were sparked in Georgia this week after footage showing the torture and rape of inmates in the capital’s main prison was aired by two television channels supportive of the opposition.

Hours after the release of the prison video, Saakashvili promised to punish those responsible and seek radical reforms of the jail system, asking policemen to take over prison guard duties while reforms were being worked out.

The country’s interior minister tendered his resignation over the scandal and the prisons minister also stepped down.
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The head of the Tbilisi prison, his two deputies and several prison guards were arrested, while international organizations and human rights groups called for a prompt investigation.

The government tried to argue that the recordings were politically motivated.

Ivanishvili owns one of the networks that showed the video.  He reportedly has a fortune of roughly $6.4 billion, nearly half the size of Georgia’s economic output.

Saakashvili opponents have accused him of curbing political freedoms and criticized him over the 2008 Russo-Georgian War.

Georgia has 4.7 million people and sits on an oil and gas transit route across the Caucasus.

Opposition says Georgia vote a choice between “good and evil” –  Reuters – Margarita Antidz – September 22, 2012 – click here for original article