A lawmaker from UNM party, Akaki Bobokhidze, criticized statements made by both President Saakashvili and PM Ivanishvili in response to the March 21 parliamentary vote in which constitutional amendment was unanimously passed.

“Yesterday President Saakashvili gave his assessment. I think that accents were not properly made. It was not a victory of the United National Movement; it was a victory of the Georgian population,” MP Bobokhidze said.

He was speaking while the parliament was discussing the constitutional changes on presidential powers with its second reading on March 22.

“Unfortunately today Bidzina Ivanishvili continued in his same line by saying that [GD] did not need [UNM’s] support because they any way had enough votes,” MP Akaki Bobokhidze said and added that 135 lawmakers voted for the constitutional amendment not because PM Ivanishvili wanted it, but because these lawmakers “care about the fate of the country.”

“We will talk with our leader [President Saakashvili], but I also want to ask the parliamentary majority too and say that the bill is not yet passed [with its second and final third reading]. If someone wants to know whether it is possible to adopt this bill without our support, I assure you that it won’t [be possible]. I am no longer interested in what Bidzina Ivanishvili will say and I am not interested in what Mikheil Saakashvili will say. As it seems, this decision [on constitutional changes] will probably be adopted because we think that this decision is needed for Georgia… I want to call everyone: allow us to work and allow us to take decisions that are needed for Georgia… and stop preaching and give up attempts of [finding out] whose clan prevailed,” MP Bobokhidze said.