Presidential candidate Nino Burjanadze’s party Democratic Movement-United Georgia (DMUG) has recently claimed that disillusioned by current government’s policies, “hundreds” of activists and members of Georgian Dream coalition are quitting PM Ivanishvili’s party and joining Burjanadze’s DMUG. Chief of Burjanadze’s campaign headquarters, Gigla Baramidze, said “hundreds” of activists were joining DMUG party “not only from Georgian Dream, but from the United National Movement as well.” “That’s a natural process; we are not working on attracting activists from [other parties]; they simply see more perspective with Burjanadze,” said Baramidze. “It is ludicrous and also outrageous when our competitor… uses such dirty tricks. Of course I would disagree if withdrawal of one or two people from the party is described as massive outflow of activists… I call on everyone not to use such cheap tricks,” Armaz Akhvlediani, executive secretary of GDDG, told Maestro TV on August 23. Like GD’s presidential candidate Giorgi Margvelashvili, Burjanadze too was campaigning this week in eastern region of Kakheti. In her campaign Burjanadze focuses on number of issues, prioritizing foreign policy; she says that she does not want to create overly high expectations to voters as new president’s powers will be significantly cut under the new constitutional provisions. “I know how to speak with Putin; I know his stance towards Georgia and Georgian problems and I told him unambiguously that territorial integrity is our major priority and I know that I will be able to mend ties with Russia,” she said in an interview with a local television station in Gurjaani, town in Kakheti region, on August 23. “While Bidzina Ivanishvili is really making moderate remarks in respect of Russia, all the other officials – ministers, lawmakers, say that Russia is an occupying power with whom they will not speak unless it withdraws from Georgia; they say that they will not restore diplomatic relations with Russia unless Georgian territories are liberated,” Burjanadze also criticized PM Ivanishvili for saying in an interview with Bloomberg that he expects Georgia to join NATO in four years. “Can anyone explain how are we going to do that? We won’t be able to join the NATO as long as Russian troops remain in Abkhazia and Samachablo [South Ossetia]; we should either say no to these territories and say that Georgia is joining NATO without these territories or declare that Georgia has no perspective of joining NATO,” Burjanadze said. “Ivanishvili has not told us any magic word that would convince me that it’s possible to withdraw Russian troops from Abkhazia and Ossetia, to reconcile with these territories and join NATO with united territories in four years.” During campaigning in Kakheti, Burjanadze also said when asked about her competitors in the presidential race: “Only large finances and personal authority of Bidzina Ivanishvili can be my competitors; candidates themselves – none of them are capable of competing with me.” |
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