Press Scanner
Compiled by Liana Bezhanishvili
WEdnesday, January 13
McCain did not become US President because of Saakashvili
Akhali Taoba reports that our Government is granting big significance to the visit of Senator John McCain. According to the Foreign Affairs Ministry McCain came to Georgia to express the USA’s support for Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity and intensify the bilateral strategic partnership. However independent analyst Ramaz Klimiashvili is more sceptical about McCain’s visit.
“Here is one detail to which no one pays attention. McCain might have been President of the USA had Saakashvili not done what he did last August. That is why John McCain did not become President. When the Russian tanks were moving towards Tbilisi, McCain said his well known words, "Today we are all Georgians!” However we remember that at the same time his leader Bush was saying, "Do not interfere, let the Russians take Tbilisi!” as President Sarkozy of France revealed.
"I do not like this visit because I know very well that McCain wanted to use Georgia to become President. He visited Batumi because he would not dare enter Tbilisi because Saakashvili is afraid of the demonstrations it would provoke. This is why he received McCain visit in Batumi, a dubious practice.
"McCain is not in the US Government, he is in opposition, and reports of his criticism of Obama is designed to deceive the public. His position does not matter, it is the opinion of President Obama, Clinton and others which will affect us,” stated Ramaz Klimiashvili.
America sent McCain to calm Saakashvili down
“It is positive that McCain met the opposition. He had been visiting Svaneti and other places attending parties but now he has met the opposition. However, he cannot convince the opposition that Saakashvili is a good man and they should obey him,” expert Paata Zakareishvili states in an interview with Akhali Taoba.
"The fact that McCain met the opposition leads me to suppose that McCain was sent to Georgia to calm down Saakashvili. The visit is also connected with the elections. He may have told Saakashvili to stop being stubborn and hand over some power to the opposition, and everything will be revealed in due course. But Saakashvili is so enticed by power that he might even ignore America. He ignored Biden before. He might ignore McCain. It is his usual style,” Paata Zakareishvili said.
Why has Alexander Ebralidze created an award?
Sakartvelos Respublika writes that several days ago Rustavi 2 and Real TV again ran a story about Alexander Ebralidze, the St. Petersburg businessman and Georgian emigre. The story was about the majority of Georgian writers refusing to accept the literary award Ebralidze has established. World People’s Congress Tbilisi Branch head Nana Chkhoidze said, "This idea was Alexander Ebralidze's. I am sure that if he had not expressed a wish to become President before he established this award his initiative would have been met positively by the media but unfortunately today the Government is trying to present him as a politician, although thinking people know exactly what is happening.”
Deputy Culture Minister Mako Chogoshvili said that Alexander Ebralidze is not interested in Georgian literature and what is happening in this field, and there is another agenda behind this initiative. Chkhoidze responded,
“What does Mrs. Mako know about Alexander Ebralidze's interest in or attitude towards history or literature? Absolutely nothing. She, like most Georgian citizens, knows from the media that Ebralidze is a successful businessman who wants to become President, and therefore the media presents him as Georgia’s enemy because deciding the next Georgian Presidency is only the prerogative of the incumbent, in their view,” Chkoidze said.
Akhali Taoba reports that our Government is granting big significance to the visit of Senator John McCain. According to the Foreign Affairs Ministry McCain came to Georgia to express the USA’s support for Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity and intensify the bilateral strategic partnership. However independent analyst Ramaz Klimiashvili is more sceptical about McCain’s visit.
“Here is one detail to which no one pays attention. McCain might have been President of the USA had Saakashvili not done what he did last August. That is why John McCain did not become President. When the Russian tanks were moving towards Tbilisi, McCain said his well known words, "Today we are all Georgians!” However we remember that at the same time his leader Bush was saying, "Do not interfere, let the Russians take Tbilisi!” as President Sarkozy of France revealed.
"I do not like this visit because I know very well that McCain wanted to use Georgia to become President. He visited Batumi because he would not dare enter Tbilisi because Saakashvili is afraid of the demonstrations it would provoke. This is why he received McCain visit in Batumi, a dubious practice.
"McCain is not in the US Government, he is in opposition, and reports of his criticism of Obama is designed to deceive the public. His position does not matter, it is the opinion of President Obama, Clinton and others which will affect us,” stated Ramaz Klimiashvili.
America sent McCain to calm Saakashvili down
“It is positive that McCain met the opposition. He had been visiting Svaneti and other places attending parties but now he has met the opposition. However, he cannot convince the opposition that Saakashvili is a good man and they should obey him,” expert Paata Zakareishvili states in an interview with Akhali Taoba.
"The fact that McCain met the opposition leads me to suppose that McCain was sent to Georgia to calm down Saakashvili. The visit is also connected with the elections. He may have told Saakashvili to stop being stubborn and hand over some power to the opposition, and everything will be revealed in due course. But Saakashvili is so enticed by power that he might even ignore America. He ignored Biden before. He might ignore McCain. It is his usual style,” Paata Zakareishvili said.
Why has Alexander Ebralidze created an award?
Sakartvelos Respublika writes that several days ago Rustavi 2 and Real TV again ran a story about Alexander Ebralidze, the St. Petersburg businessman and Georgian emigre. The story was about the majority of Georgian writers refusing to accept the literary award Ebralidze has established. World People’s Congress Tbilisi Branch head Nana Chkhoidze said, "This idea was Alexander Ebralidze's. I am sure that if he had not expressed a wish to become President before he established this award his initiative would have been met positively by the media but unfortunately today the Government is trying to present him as a politician, although thinking people know exactly what is happening.”
Deputy Culture Minister Mako Chogoshvili said that Alexander Ebralidze is not interested in Georgian literature and what is happening in this field, and there is another agenda behind this initiative. Chkhoidze responded,
“What does Mrs. Mako know about Alexander Ebralidze's interest in or attitude towards history or literature? Absolutely nothing. She, like most Georgian citizens, knows from the media that Ebralidze is a successful businessman who wants to become President, and therefore the media presents him as Georgia’s enemy because deciding the next Georgian Presidency is only the prerogative of the incumbent, in their view,” Chkoidze said.