Nino Burjanadze vs Kakhi Kaladze
By Tea Mariamidze
Friday, June 13
The leader of the coalition Burjanadze - United Opposition, Nino Burjanadze and her party members are demanding an apology from the Vice Premier Kakhi Kaladze in terms of his statements made concerning Burjanadze’s personality and her past activities.
During his speech on TV a couple of days ago, Kaladze said that the United National Movement “made a corridor” for Burjanadze and her escort during the opposition rally on May 26,2011. He claimed that Burjanadze left protesters in danger and saved herself when her party had initiated the rally.
“You escaped and people were dying there when the UNM launched the rally dispersal. Did you take care of at least one affected family?” Kaladze stated.
He also added that in 2008 Burjanadze left the parliament speaker’s position owing to the will of the ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili.
“It was not Burjanadze’s decision as she illustrates it. She could not agree with Saakashvili on the election list, that was the problem,” Kaladze said.
Kaladze also stressed that quite a few members of the UNM are currently in Burjanadze’s team.
“We all know that Burjanadze was a member of Saakashvili’s team. It is not surprising to see the former faces of the UNM standing by Burjanadze now,” Kaladze said.
Responding to the claims, Burjanadze stressed that Kaladze opposed the force he should not be in rivalry with. She reminded Kaladze that he was also praising Saakashvili once.
“Kaladze backed Saakashvili only after it concerned his business activities,” Burjanadze said.
She admitted that it is a tragedy for the country to have football player like Kaladze, who has zero knowledge about politics, in the position of the Vice Premier. “He does not even know that the parliament chair cannot be dismissed,” Burjanadze said and accused the Georgian Dream coalition of not investigating the May 26 opposition rally dispersal by the previous government.
Burjanadze also stressed that by making such statements in terms of a powerful opposition team, Kaladze affects the coalition’s interest and closes the door for the two coalitions’ future cooperation.
