Scandal in radical opposition: Okruashvili vs former partners

So far, 2011 has been a difficult year for the radical opposition. It has been unable to unify, it could not perform its promised revolution and has become involved in scandals. Its leaders started accusing each other of all sorts of misdemeanors and all these events further discredited the persons representing this segment of the political spectrum.

The characteristic feature of the radical opposition is that they declare revolution as the only possible way to change Saakashvili's governance in the country. Spring 2011 was significant in that two political groups were promoting the revolutionary philosophy. Two leaders of these groups Nino Burjanadze and Irakli Okruashvili were promoting a similar position but did not manage to join forces. The initiative was taken by Nino Burjanadze and the Public Assembly, meanwhile Okruashvili’s Georgian party were merely spectators. Burjanadze’s initiative lasting from May 21-26 failed sensationally and it will be a miracle if Nino Burjanadze could ever become the leader of the Georgian opposition from now on.

Although Okruashvili’s party refrained from participating in the revolutionary battle, its leader supposed return to Georgia was the subject of wild speculation in May. Meanwhile two leaders of this party Koka Guntsadze and Levan Gachechiladze left the party and the latter even participated in the Burjanadze rally overnight May 25-26. Then the scandal of alleged spying photographers broke out in the country and, to cover himself, Irakli Okruashvili accused his former party comrades of political corruption and betrayal.

Okruashvili started to explain why the revolutionary path failed in Georgia. Firstly he criticized Burjanadze saying that she did not have 0.1 gram of brains. Then he highlighted his reasons for the frustration of his own revolutionary plans, naming betrayal of fellow party members, in particular Levan Gachechiladze, who according to Okruashvili sold the Georgian party's plans to the ruling power for 5 mln. As Okruashvili claims there was a detailed plan of his return to Georgia which was intended to be a lethal blow to the ruling administration. However the plan which had been prepared by the Okruashvili revolutionists was allegedly sold to the ruling authorities by Gachechiladze.

Former fellow party members of course criticized Okruashvili in their responses. Koka Guntsadze mentioned that it is not worth discussing failing persons' statements at all, as they blame others for their own covertness. In reality Okruashvili has no guts to return in Georgia. He will never come here. He can only pose in front of video cameras. Such kind of strong language practiced against each other will probably continue between the former political allies and of course the next attempt by Okruashvili to propose a new date for revolution will not impress anyone and it is unlikely that anybody would seriously follow him. The common feeling among Georgian people is a desire to clean up Georgian politics and to see new faces. Like a slow computer, the Georgian political spectrum needs refreshed. Unfortunately, the search for new figures in Georgian politics today yields very few results.