Proposed amendments to the constitution will introduce "European model" under which no one, "including myself, won't be able to rule Georgia single-handedly," President Saakashvili said in an interview with Russian radio station, Ekho Moskvy, on August 26.
Saakashvili made the remarks when asked about opponents' allegations that he was modeling new constitution personally on himself to allow him to stay in power as PM after his second and final presidential term expires in 2013.
"I have never made my intentions secret, that the team of reformers should remain in power," Saakashvili responded. "That's the major issue. If we are speaking about political personalities - actually I have never been a separate figure, I have always represented this team and we have always worked within this team together."
"Of course I would like this team - as an ideology of reforms - to remain in power. I would like this team to broaden. I would like... the opposition to also finally be integrated into this system, where they will not like me or others in the government, but they will understand key principles: non-corrupt, modernized society, oriented towards the future - Switzerland of this region with elements of Singapore. And, naturally, I will do everything to make it and to secure continuity [of reforms]".
"We are now together working on amending the constitution, which will actually bring into Georgia elements of European model, liberal model, which, I think, at this stage of reforms will be very useful for development of our economy and will bring more welfare to our people."
"This model in itself rules out monocracy at all, rule by one individual politician, because the power is not only being divided between [branches of government], but in fact there will not be any single center of power. I am against - although some European experts are recommending it - leveling presidential [post]. But at the same time I want the Parliament to gain more powers and to take more control over the executive government and I want more people in Georgia to become a stakeholder in governing [process]."
"It will bring more stability, will engage more players in the process of reforms and will make these reforms more sustainable and irreversible."
"So taking into consideration all these [factors], not a single figure in Georgia, including myself, will be able to rule Georgia in the future single-handedly."
"As I already said it, I would like reformers' team to remain in power and I will be working on that," Saakashvili said.
He also said that as far as he personally is concerned, before expiration of his second and final presidential term in 2013 he would be "focused on making reforms irreversible."
Saakashvili said that the plan was to make all these reforms, involving modernization of infrastructure, education system, institutional development and integration in international structures, irreversible by 2013.
"So as far as all these plans are built for 2013, they are designed to make my ambitions maximally satisfied. The major ambition, as I said, is to make all these reforms irreversible; to [guarantee] this team with reformist ideology to continue playing dominant role in Georgia, so as no one ever to attempt, even in thier thoughts, to reverse [reforms]," Saakashvili said.