1. Case-study No. & Title:
183. The role of regional institutions in the Georgian political system: the case of Adjarian autonomy, 1991-2000

Keywords

2. Author information
2.1 Author’s Name:
Dmitry Groushkin, Eugeny Kovalkov

2.2 Institutional Affiliation and Contact Details:
Center for Civilization and Regional Studies
Russian Academy of Sciences
Spiridonovka street 30/1
Moscow, 103001
Russia.

Tel./fax: (095) 202-33-11
E-mail: kovalkov@duma.mos.ru

2.3 Date recorded
15/11/2000

3. Good Practice Information Sheet
3.1 Local Level Good Practice
The first example in Georgia of effective protection of ethnic minorities, and of cooperation between the state and local authorities and ethnic groups.

3.2 Location:
The Adjarian autonomous Republic (Batumi, Cobuleti), Georgia.

3.3 Minority/Target Groups:
Local communities of Russians, Greeks, Armenians.

3.4 Major Actors Involved

3.5 Budget allocated by local government authorities and/or by other actors
Means for minorities support politics are provided by local, republican (Adjarian) and state (Georgian) budgets.

3.6 Timeframe
1991-2000

3.7 Local level good practice relation to national level ethnic policy
The Adjarian authorities’ initiative has subsequently been implemented in other regions of Georgia.

4. Good Practice Description
The majority of Georgia’s population are Georgians (78%) but representatives of more than 80 nationalities also live in this country and form territorially-concentrated minorities. Officially, there are 3 autonomous regions in Georgia: Adjaria, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, but the last two are, even today, not under its jurisdiction. This situation is the result of a number of inter-ethnic, political and military conflicts that took place in Georgia in the early 1990s.

The only autonomy that has remained peaceful and stable has been the autonomous republic of Adjaria. In many respects, this was due to the moderate and far-sighted policy the republican government of Adjaria pursued in terms of the regulation of ethnic relations within its territory.

The largest three minorities in Adjaria are: Russians (9% of the total population of the republic), Pontian Greeks (5%) and Armenians (2%). The representatives of the local minorities have formed the Council of National Communities (CNC), created in 1992, which has been recognised as an important body in the Adjarian system.

National minorities’ NGOs actively pursue the goal of consolidating their respective communities with the aim of ensuring inter-ethnic harmony within the region. The local laws make no provision for the allocation of special seats for representatives of ethnic minorities in the bodies of power, but they take part in elections and in the activities of the Supreme Council of the republic – the most important legislative body of Adjaria (where they have about 10% of seats). In 1999 a special law on minorities was adopted, the representatives of the ethnic communities having co-operated actively in its development. All their recommendations were taken into consideration in the drafting process.

A special part of the governmental budget of Adjaria is allocated to support for minorities. These means are intended for the implementation of educational programs (there are 28 schools in Batumi: ten are Russian-language schools, one provides comprehensive knowledge of Greek language and culture and another – Armenian language and culture); for cultural activities and for support in situations of emergency. In 1998, for instance, about 2000 USD were allocated, according to a special decree of president of the Supreme Council, as compensation for Armenian families, whose members were killed as a result of a technically provoked disaster.

The system of local government in Adjaria, as in the rest of Georgia, is based on so-called ‘sakrebulo’ (rural councils). These structures are mostly developed in the highlands of Adjaria because of specific living conditions (isolation from the local infrastructure). Most often the rural population administered by a ‘sakrebulo’ is mono-ethnic and the ethnic composition of a ‘sakrebulo’ will tend to reflect this structure, which solves the problem of possible inter-ethnic tensions over political power. On the other hand, at the level of municipal bodies, elected representatives of ethnic minorities work alongside Adjarians.

The experience of the Adjarian strategy for building a tolerant, multi-ethnic and poly-cultural structure has recently also been influencing the ethnic policy of Georgia as a whole. In fact, the Georgian central government followed Adjaria’s example in taking the necessary legislative measures to guarantee minorities’ rights.

In Georgia, ethnic minorities form about a 1/4 of the population. According to the latest unofficial data (because the last census was taken in 1989) about 100,000 Russians (3% of total population) live in the country, about 250,000 Armenians (7.5%), about 50,000 Greeks (1.5%).

There are a lot of differences between the ethnic minorities of Georgia (in terms of population size, the degree to which they are territorially concentrated or dispersed, their level of integration in social life, etc.). The state policy regarding the territorially-concentrated groups is administered through the local bodies of self-government.

Each national Diaspora created its own social organisation. The so-called ‘Satatbiro’ (Council of Diasporas) was formed in 1997 at the State Chancellery and deals (in co-operation with others state structures) with various ethnic problems. It is important to know that this council alone makes principal decisions and that the Chancellery only helps with matters of organisation.

An example of fruitful co-operation is the development of the educational system. There are 361 functioning non-Georgian schools and 190 independent educational institutions that are taught in native languages for the benefit of national minorities.

There are three key types of issues involved in guaranteeing national minorities’ rights in Georgia: