It had to warn society of possible development of events in case of further activity of pro-russian opposition.
Georgian television has proved it’s reputation and aptitude for provoking scandals. The item called “The chronicle of terrible future” of sympathetic to authorities TV company “Imedi” has become for one day almost the main theme for the world mass media. “The chronicle of terrible future” according to the authors’ plan had to warn society of possible development of events in case of further activity of pro-Russian opposition (first of all Nino Burjanadze and Zurab Noghaideli) and of “non-consolidation of our nation in the face of Russian threat”.
The film was edit quiet professionally as an extra news edition. Lasha Khalazishvili who is known as one of the best anchors on the channel was quietly convincing and skillfully selected frams of August war of 2008 created the impression of apocalyptical development of events.
So, according to the authors’ version, the events will develop according to the following scenario: on June 7, 2010 when the whole world will be celebrating the opening of world soccer championship (just like 08.08.08 when all humanity pressed themselves against the screens to enjoy the Olympic Games) in Tbilisi will start the meetings of opposition protesting against the falsification of elections of mayor which took place on May 30, 2010. During the manifestation before the building of Central Election Commission the unknown (hint on provocation of Russian special services) will open fire on the crowd by Kalashnikov. Four people will be killed and ten will be wounded. Disturbed people will demand resignation of “Bloody President Saakashvili”. At the same time in Tskhinvali will be attacked cortege of President Kokoity. The leader of South Ossetia will receive mortal wound. Russian television will show frames with killed Georgian military personnel which have supposedly take part in the attack and really were at the edge of provocation stolen from frontier settlements and killed by Russian pecial mission units.
The leaders of pro-Russian opposition – ex prime ministers Nino Burjanadze and Zurab Noghaideli will go to Tskhinvali, condemn attack on Kokoity, form a government of public confidence and will call on the population for uprising against authorities.
President Medvedev will order Russian forces to leave from South Ossetia to Tbilisi for arrest and trial of “bloody criminal and terrorist Saakashvili”. In the suburbs of Tbilisi will start fierce battles. Russian aviation will strike a blow on the international airport. World leaders will limit themselves of verbal censure of Russian activities. Several battalions of Georgian army will go over to rebels and Russian armed forces and President Saakashvili will disappear but soon will be killed.
Informational bomb in prime time.
Before the beginning of the item the anchor of the talk-show explained that this is only pretence. But not everybody watched the chronicle from the beginning. “Imedi” covers all the country’s territory, it’s audience is about a million of people. And the “chronicle” was shown on Saturday evening so hundreds of thousands of people have taken this item as real. In many families started real panic – parents couldn’t quieten their children who were writhing in hysterics, friends and relatives tried to phone each other, to know what is really happening but telephone lines were overloaded. The population threw theirselves to buy articles of prime necessity and to withdraw their savings. And it was done so actively that in many automatic cash terminals ended the notes and banks didn’t work at the weekend. Only after the end of half an hour item the authors explained – it is just a mystification and “modeling” of the situation. But this explanation turned out too late for those fathers of families who threw themselves to petrol stations for filling the petrol tank and take their families to mountains. “The TV provocation” created a real threat of resumption of battles because relatives phoned Georgian policemen who were serving at the border of South Ossetia and told about the item. They could got confused and opened fire on Tskhinvali. Fortunatelly, this didn’t happen.
Friendly fire.
Mayor of Tbilisi Gigi Ugulava was the first of government representatives who dissociate himself from the “chronicle” and said, speaking on air in the TV company “Rustavi-2” that “it is inadmissible to play on nerves of people”. Other leaders of the ruling party also condemned “Imedi”. The press secretary of President Manana Mandzhgaladze reproved journalists and leadership of “Imedi” for breach of journalist ethics. According to her opinion, this item should have been supplied by inscription or creeping line which explained it’s “mystificated” and unreal. But later Mikhail Saakashvili himself said: “Though this item was very unpleasant, it correctly shows plans of our butter enemy – Russia which has already shown us a much worse film in August of 2008”.
The opposition is convinced that “Imedi” which is led by one of the closest team-mates of Saakashvili, the former head of Presidential Administration George Arveladze simply couldn’t act on it’s own account – without concurrence of country’s government. According to observer’s opinion those what have happened can become a starting point for new confrontation between the authorities and opposition which will culminate in May when inhabitants of Tbilisi will for the first time in their history elect mayor. The scandalous item really can influence the development of events because it’s authors already managed to shake the society turning it to the past and remaining the terrible events of 2008. From now on any activity of pro-Russian opposition (even the protest against official results of the elections) or movement of Russian armed forces on the border of Georgia will be taken as the beginning of realization of “The chronicle of terrible future”.
George Kalatozishvili. Exclusively for VK.
