Press Scanner
Compiled by Messenger Staff
Tuesday, June 22
Kakha Kukava – the Okruashvili-Noghaideli memorandum is unacceptable
Kakha Kukava, leader of the Conservative Party, states in an interview with Akhali Taoba that, "The elections were a test indeed, and the fact that the National Council was not set up just to take seats has been confirmed. The Alliance was set up to gain seats on the City Council, and having done that it dissolved at once. I would not be so critical if I did not remember how much they demanded that we support the Alliance. We did not support the Alliance because we knew that it would enter into coalition with Ugulava after the elections.
The Alliance had many sympathisers who could not be persuaded that they would be better off supporting us. There was no bargain with Saganelidze, but withdrawing in favour of him in Vake was the formula for victory. It would have been impossible to win the elections if we had divided the votes between us. According to our polls, 30-35% supported our candidate Natsvlishvili and 20-20% supported Saganelidze. We had a chance if we could consolidate the opposition vote – it is essential to win the single-member seats," Kukava says.
"The National Council is not dissolving but expanding. We will be grateful to those opposition parties who join us. The Noghaideli factor has always been exaggerated by the media in relation to the National Council. There are only three member parties of the Council, so if two of them decide that it should not dissolve, it will not dissolve. If the third decides differently this might result in the expulsion of Noghaideli from the Council. We have internal democracy – it is Noghaideli who is conducting negotiations with Irakli Okruashvili, not the National Council," Kukava continues.
"Those negotiations are Noghaideli's project, not the National Council's. Noghaideli acts independently. His memorandum is unacceptable for us, not because of the personalities who signed it but the political course it lays out. The main priority of the opposition should be the formation of a common strategy in connection with the electoral environment.
"I cannot understand what we should be expected to join – a Noghaideli-Okruashvili coalition? If Okruashvili shares our views he can join us, not the other way round. The door of the National Council is open for him and Gachechiladze as well. But I do not suppose anything will come out of this. The Munich meeting will remain a mere meeting," Kakha Kakava says.
Shalva Natelashvili – We are exposing the so-called opposition
Shalva Natelashvili, leader of the Labour Party, states in an interview with Kronika that, "The Government engaged several oppositional parties in the elections by conducting provocations, without which they could not be held. Saakashvili is talking about not only staying on for a third term, by becoming Prime Minister with the rights of a President, but staying for 60 years: he has quoted the example of Japan, namely, the Liberal Democratic Party there. This foolishness has been encouraged not only by the support he receives from America, but the participation of the so-called opposition in these so-called elections," Natelashvili says.
‘We should fight both American colonialism and Russian imperialism. Politically Georgia is occupied by America as militarily it is occupied by Russia. Saakashvili is the mediator between these two empires. Traitorous people are below him driving electors bribed with 10 GEL to the polling stations to vote for the Nationals. We should expose these people. We urge our citizens not to support those people at all," he continues.
"I think those people who helped Saakashvili come to power and are now in the opposition might invest their millions in securing the resignation of Saakashvili. Do you doubt that Okruashvili earned a billion when he was in power? Noghaideli could not have earned less than that. Let them invest their money in the resignation of Saakashvili, but this does not mean that they will come into power. If they do not invest their money they will become the victims of Saakashvili. Saakashvili will not allow them to live happily, just as did not allow Zurab Zhvania and Badri Patarkatsishvili to," Natelashvili adds.
"America and the opposition have legitimated the man who has destroyed people's homes, been thrown out of a supermarket in Germany for stealing and stolen millions from the state budget for plastic surgery for his spouse, not to mention the 250 million which disappeared when he was in the Mayor's Office, after which he made Parliament pass the law which says that the capital expenditures of the Mayor are secret. Ugulava is also the leader of an unlawful band. His ‘Mkhedrioni’ will rush everywhere they are needed. Do you remember when Udesiani’s group rushed into the City Council chamber? Ugulava is abusing the country even more than half-foolish Saakashvili," Shalva Natelashvili concludes.
Kakha Kukava, leader of the Conservative Party, states in an interview with Akhali Taoba that, "The elections were a test indeed, and the fact that the National Council was not set up just to take seats has been confirmed. The Alliance was set up to gain seats on the City Council, and having done that it dissolved at once. I would not be so critical if I did not remember how much they demanded that we support the Alliance. We did not support the Alliance because we knew that it would enter into coalition with Ugulava after the elections.
The Alliance had many sympathisers who could not be persuaded that they would be better off supporting us. There was no bargain with Saganelidze, but withdrawing in favour of him in Vake was the formula for victory. It would have been impossible to win the elections if we had divided the votes between us. According to our polls, 30-35% supported our candidate Natsvlishvili and 20-20% supported Saganelidze. We had a chance if we could consolidate the opposition vote – it is essential to win the single-member seats," Kukava says.
"The National Council is not dissolving but expanding. We will be grateful to those opposition parties who join us. The Noghaideli factor has always been exaggerated by the media in relation to the National Council. There are only three member parties of the Council, so if two of them decide that it should not dissolve, it will not dissolve. If the third decides differently this might result in the expulsion of Noghaideli from the Council. We have internal democracy – it is Noghaideli who is conducting negotiations with Irakli Okruashvili, not the National Council," Kukava continues.
"Those negotiations are Noghaideli's project, not the National Council's. Noghaideli acts independently. His memorandum is unacceptable for us, not because of the personalities who signed it but the political course it lays out. The main priority of the opposition should be the formation of a common strategy in connection with the electoral environment.
"I cannot understand what we should be expected to join – a Noghaideli-Okruashvili coalition? If Okruashvili shares our views he can join us, not the other way round. The door of the National Council is open for him and Gachechiladze as well. But I do not suppose anything will come out of this. The Munich meeting will remain a mere meeting," Kakha Kakava says.
Shalva Natelashvili – We are exposing the so-called opposition
Shalva Natelashvili, leader of the Labour Party, states in an interview with Kronika that, "The Government engaged several oppositional parties in the elections by conducting provocations, without which they could not be held. Saakashvili is talking about not only staying on for a third term, by becoming Prime Minister with the rights of a President, but staying for 60 years: he has quoted the example of Japan, namely, the Liberal Democratic Party there. This foolishness has been encouraged not only by the support he receives from America, but the participation of the so-called opposition in these so-called elections," Natelashvili says.
‘We should fight both American colonialism and Russian imperialism. Politically Georgia is occupied by America as militarily it is occupied by Russia. Saakashvili is the mediator between these two empires. Traitorous people are below him driving electors bribed with 10 GEL to the polling stations to vote for the Nationals. We should expose these people. We urge our citizens not to support those people at all," he continues.
"I think those people who helped Saakashvili come to power and are now in the opposition might invest their millions in securing the resignation of Saakashvili. Do you doubt that Okruashvili earned a billion when he was in power? Noghaideli could not have earned less than that. Let them invest their money in the resignation of Saakashvili, but this does not mean that they will come into power. If they do not invest their money they will become the victims of Saakashvili. Saakashvili will not allow them to live happily, just as did not allow Zurab Zhvania and Badri Patarkatsishvili to," Natelashvili adds.
"America and the opposition have legitimated the man who has destroyed people's homes, been thrown out of a supermarket in Germany for stealing and stolen millions from the state budget for plastic surgery for his spouse, not to mention the 250 million which disappeared when he was in the Mayor's Office, after which he made Parliament pass the law which says that the capital expenditures of the Mayor are secret. Ugulava is also the leader of an unlawful band. His ‘Mkhedrioni’ will rush everywhere they are needed. Do you remember when Udesiani’s group rushed into the City Council chamber? Ugulava is abusing the country even more than half-foolish Saakashvili," Shalva Natelashvili concludes.