Saakashvili: "Georgia's development cannot be halted"
By Ana Robakidze
Monday, September 24
Mikheil Saakashvili is outraged by the videos showing the torture of prison inmates, but still proud that Georgia managed to respond with brisk effective steps as a democratic country would do. Despite the number of constant provocations and failures, the government is still maintaining its promises and Georgia's continued development could not be halted. The president is satisfied by the fact that the graphic images have been made public, which does not happen frequently in other countries, and society has reacted accordingly. As per Saakashvili, the ensuing protests were and are absolutely justified and were responded to by "completely dismantling the system, which allowed such a failure to happen".
Saakashvili stressed the importance of the new ministers that were recently appointed, Eka Zguladze, who became the new interim minister of Internal Affairs and Giorgi Tugushi, the ex- public defender who is now the new minister of the prison system. The president is highly confident that they (ministers) will ensure the protection of human rights in the country, together with the Justice Minister, Zurab Adeishvili and Prime Minister, Vano Merabishvili.
George Tughushi has been the strictest critic of the Georgian penitential system for several years, he is aware of all the faults in the system, therefore having him as the new minister is vital.
"I am not justifying anything by saying it, but such things happen in many other, more developed countries" Saakashvili said, at an opening ceremony for the new Public Service Hall, "I am filled with indignation as much as the majority of our citizens are and even more" he says.
The government has responded to this outrageous crime, but now there remains another question that troubles the president– why were these videos brought to light only now? Saakashvili takes responsibility for the fact that it is the authority's fault that such crimes were committed in our prisons, but he also wants to know why the recordings were kept out of the publics' sight for so long.
Saakashvili said that now it was time to ask the question as to why these videos surfaced now, ahead of the elections and why those in possession of these recordings kept it out of public sight for such a long time.
"Someone has to ask: why was the material stored for so long?" Saakashvili is sure that if someone had brought this video footage to light earlier or had shown it to Tughushi, the issue would have been solved immediately and the offenders would be imprisoned instantly. However, the recordings were released right ahead of the upcoming elections and this happened deliberately.
Saakashvili is sure that the video has been released with one and only one goal in mind: to have an impact on voters, who will now cast their ballots under the shock of what transpired in the videos.
Mikheil Saakashvili could not resist linking this scandalous fact to the Russian Federation. He is sure that a huge amount of Russian money flowed into Georgia [accompanied by] Russian methods; all is done in order to return Georgia to Russia’s imperial space.
Saakashvili has ensured citizens that Georgia is never going back to the past again. The country will never again tolerate corruption, inequality, unfairness and oppression.
Saakashvili once again reiterated his claim that justice will be restored immediately and the suspects in the Gldani prison torture case will be punished accordingly, while opening the Technological University of Batumi. The president is sure that those "who have actually spent money" on creating the video material and kept it hidden for so long, will be answered by Georgians on an election day. Saakashvili revealed in Batumi, while holding a meeting with supporters, the latest events were quite predictable, he knew that something was planned against the government and the country.
President is sure that the opposition planned to reveal the material right before the elections, so this could cause total chaos and mass protests, hence the country would be ruined and back under Russian power.
At a time when Saakashvili is confident that the course chosen by his government cannot be changed by a foreign power and others who want to bring the country into a dark past, Bidzina Ivanishvili is sure that the prison scandal has displayed the real face of the Saakashvili regime.
He has to resign, this is the final advice Ivanishvili gives to Saakashvili. Delivering a speech at a campaign meeting in the western town of Khoni, the leader of the Georgian Dream said that the president’s resignation is the only way to somehow restore the dignity of the Georgian authorities.
Just like the President, Georgia’s major opposition leader Bidzina Ivanishvili is also looking forward to the October the 1st elections, both leaders are sure that this is the day when people will bring their own justice.
The coalition hopes that the elections will turn into a fair trial for the current government and people will make them accountable with all strictness of the law.
