Press Scanner
Compiled by Messenger Staff
Tuesday, February 9
Is Noghaideli a Government project?
”The agreement being drawn up between the teams of Noghaideli and Putin puts the Conservative Party and People’s Party [allies of Noghaideli] in a most awkward situation – like me, they fail to see why Putin’s team is any better than Saakashvili’s one. I wonder what Putin’s team does that Noghaideli wants to emulate in Georgia”, analyst Soso Tsiskarishvili states in an interview with Kviris Palitra.
”I doubt that Noghaideli is acting independently. His function seems to be exchanging information between The Kremlin and the Avlabari Residence. A person who had no connection with last year’s protest rallies suddenly expresses a desire to become an opposition leader by signing an agreement with a force which has not even helped its own country.: I do not believe this is logical behaviour,” Soso Tsiskarishvili says.
“My Russian colleagues began distinguishing The Kremlin from Russia after the August War, saying that the war had been won by The Kremlin, not Russia. This opinion is gradually becoming more and more influential. Therefore I doubt that Noghaideli’s activities can be trusted by the Georgian people. National Movement activists may have been sincere when saying that they were not completely aware of his actions but their lack of comment on Noghaideli’s political orientation consolidates the feeling that everything has been agreed elsewhere,” Soso Tsiskarishvili states.
Asked whether Noghaideli's and the Georgian Government's interests coincide, the analyst replies: “No matter whether they want to or not, each person makes their own decision in such a situation. The fact that Noghaideli’s party has not nominated a candidate for the primary yet makes me think that he has received certain guarantees.”
Levan Gachechiladze: Some opposition members hate each other more than Saakashvili
In an interview with Kviris Palitra opposition leader Levan Gachechiladze says that people once had more positive feelings towards him than they do now, but if he had become President people would now love him as much as before. “This did not happen because I refused to allow war or bloodshed to happen. But that does not mean that I will not continue struggling. I think the local government elections are a peaceful way of getting rid of this regime, and should spark a flame which will be followed by a change of government,” Gachechiladze says.
“I will say, frankly, that the opposition is in crisis due to its variety of opinions and ideas. Each leader thinks that their chosen way is the only one which will save Georgia. Without opposition unification I exclude holding a big protest rally as people will not believe in us. The main thing for me is to destroy Saakashvili’s regime, rather than becoming Mayor, President or Speaker of the Parliament,” says Gachechiladze.
Asked why the opposition united for the next Presidential elections but has not been able to for the forthcoming local elections, Gachechiladze answers: “The opposition have lost trust in each other. How can a family be strong when there is continual jealousy? I cannot find anyone who I think is worse than Saakashvili, I prefer everyone in the opposition to him, however some opposition members would rather have Saakashvili stay in power than one of their colleagues become President. This is what I have seen after more than 2 years of struggling,” Gachechiladze concludes.
”The agreement being drawn up between the teams of Noghaideli and Putin puts the Conservative Party and People’s Party [allies of Noghaideli] in a most awkward situation – like me, they fail to see why Putin’s team is any better than Saakashvili’s one. I wonder what Putin’s team does that Noghaideli wants to emulate in Georgia”, analyst Soso Tsiskarishvili states in an interview with Kviris Palitra.
”I doubt that Noghaideli is acting independently. His function seems to be exchanging information between The Kremlin and the Avlabari Residence. A person who had no connection with last year’s protest rallies suddenly expresses a desire to become an opposition leader by signing an agreement with a force which has not even helped its own country.: I do not believe this is logical behaviour,” Soso Tsiskarishvili says.
“My Russian colleagues began distinguishing The Kremlin from Russia after the August War, saying that the war had been won by The Kremlin, not Russia. This opinion is gradually becoming more and more influential. Therefore I doubt that Noghaideli’s activities can be trusted by the Georgian people. National Movement activists may have been sincere when saying that they were not completely aware of his actions but their lack of comment on Noghaideli’s political orientation consolidates the feeling that everything has been agreed elsewhere,” Soso Tsiskarishvili states.
Asked whether Noghaideli's and the Georgian Government's interests coincide, the analyst replies: “No matter whether they want to or not, each person makes their own decision in such a situation. The fact that Noghaideli’s party has not nominated a candidate for the primary yet makes me think that he has received certain guarantees.”
Levan Gachechiladze: Some opposition members hate each other more than Saakashvili
In an interview with Kviris Palitra opposition leader Levan Gachechiladze says that people once had more positive feelings towards him than they do now, but if he had become President people would now love him as much as before. “This did not happen because I refused to allow war or bloodshed to happen. But that does not mean that I will not continue struggling. I think the local government elections are a peaceful way of getting rid of this regime, and should spark a flame which will be followed by a change of government,” Gachechiladze says.
“I will say, frankly, that the opposition is in crisis due to its variety of opinions and ideas. Each leader thinks that their chosen way is the only one which will save Georgia. Without opposition unification I exclude holding a big protest rally as people will not believe in us. The main thing for me is to destroy Saakashvili’s regime, rather than becoming Mayor, President or Speaker of the Parliament,” says Gachechiladze.
Asked why the opposition united for the next Presidential elections but has not been able to for the forthcoming local elections, Gachechiladze answers: “The opposition have lost trust in each other. How can a family be strong when there is continual jealousy? I cannot find anyone who I think is worse than Saakashvili, I prefer everyone in the opposition to him, however some opposition members would rather have Saakashvili stay in power than one of their colleagues become President. This is what I have seen after more than 2 years of struggling,” Gachechiladze concludes.