About Civil.ge
Eng | Geo | Rus
Last updated: 10:55 - 1 May.'18
RSS
Mobile
Twitter
Facebook
Opposition Claims ‘Success’ ahead of Talks with Saakashvili
Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 10 May.'09 / 19:06

The opposition leaders hailed planned meeting with President Saakashvili for May 11 as their first “major success” claiming that it marks the end the authorities’ tactic of “ignoring” the ongoing street protests.

“I know you have mixed feelings about these talks,” Salome Zourabichvili, a former foreign minister and leader of Georgia’s Way party, told protesters outside the Parliament. “On the one hand you are glad that for the first time since the launch of the protest rallies 30 days ago, Saakashvili has at last understood what is going on and realized that it is no longer possible to continue policy of ignoring and that is our first serious success.”

“But at the same time, I know that you also have sense of doubt and fear: what if he [Saakashvili] will again deceive us... These will be very difficult negotiations, because it is extremely hard to convince a person that it will be better for the country if he quits [the post],” she added.

Zourabichvili is among the group of opposition leaders who have been selected to represent those opposition parties, which are behind the ongoing protests, at the meeting with the President. Three other negotiators are: Irakli Alasania, a former ambassador to UN and leader of Alliance for Georgia; Kakha Shartava, leader of National Forum and Levan Gachechiladze, an individual opposition politician.

Irakli Alasania said on May 11, that the talks “are without preconditions.”

“This is a very positive step made by both the authorities and the opposition,” he said in televised remarks. “I hope that this meeting will become a genuine start of coming out from the crisis.”

Gubaz Sanikidze of the National Forum told the protesters at the same rally that President Saakashvili had offered the opposition to hold the meeting in a newly constructed glass building of the Interior Ministry in the suburb of Tbilisi.

“And it is very symbolic,” he said, “it demonstrates who is in fact in charge in this country; it demonstrates that Vano Merabishvili [the interior minister] governs this country... He [Saakashvili] is a hostage of Merabishvili.”

When Sanikidze announced about the venue of the meeting it triggered some boos from the crowd. Davit Berdzenishvili of the Republican Party, however, told the rally: “We have offered his [Saakashvili] – meet us anytime, anywhere; if he wants to meet us there, we will go there.”

The opposition leaders also called on supporters “not to relax.” “We have gained an advantage as we have destroyed the authorities’ myth that as if the opposition was not in favor of talks,” Gubaz Sanikidze said. “But it will be a very difficult process.”

He also said that large-scale protest rallies were especially needed now as “back-up” to negotiating process.

“The processes enter into a decisive phase,” Eka Beseila of the Movement for United Georgia party said at the rally. “We should try everything that may bring us to our major goal… We should be ready to continue this struggle to the end, which is the resignation of Saakashvili.”

“The fact that the meeting will take place in the Interior Ministry’s building means that we live in the police state, in Vano’s state, in the country where the President is afraid to meet the opposition in his residence,” Beselia said.

Latest News
01 May.'18 10:55
We Have Moved to a New Platform
Direct Your Bookmarks to https://civil.ge.
29 Apr.'18 03:54
Ruling Party Candidate Wins MP By-Elections
Givi Chichinadze will represent Vani and Khoni single-mandate constituency in the Parliament of Georgia.
28 Apr.'18 09:40
Polls Open for Vani and Khoni MP By-Elections
48,123 voters are eligible to cast their ballots in Vani and Khoni single-mandate constituency.
27 Apr.'18 17:23
State Dept’s Europe Affairs Point Man to Visit Tbilisi
Wess Mitchell will meet senior government officials and address the NATO-Georgia Public Diplomacy Forum.
27 Apr.'18 13:45
In Quotes: Georgian Politicians on Ex-PM Bidzina Ivanishvili’s Comeback
Bidzina Ivanishvili will be approved as the Georgian Dream party chairman at the upcoming convention.
26 Apr.'18 18:15
SG Jens Stoltenberg: Georgia NATO’s ‘Very Close’ Partner
The NATO Secretary General says Foreign Ministers meeting tomorrow will recognize the country’s progress.
26 Apr.'18 14:24
Ex-PM Ivanishvili to Chair Georgian Dream Party
Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili said Ivanishvili was ‘best equipped’ to add new dynamism to the party.
26 Apr.'18 11:12
Lawmaker Proposes Criminal Liability for ‘Insult of Religious Feelings’
The parliamentary human rights committee decided to set up a working group for scrutinizing the draft law.
25 Apr.'18 17:21
New Abkhaz Government Head Appointed
Gennady Gagulia has served as the Abkhaz “prime minister” twice - in 1995-1997, and 2002-2003.
25 Apr.'18 14:43
Watchdog Improves Georgia’s Press Freedom Ranking
None of the countries of the former Soviet Union (except the Baltics) are ranked ahead of Georgia.

About Civil Georgia
Civil.Ge © 2001-2025, Daily News Online
Registered office: 2 Dolidze Str, 4-th Floor.
17