Press Scanner
Complied by Liana Bezhanishvili
Thursday, October 22
The National Forum initiative frustrated
Versia reports that the opposition have held a meeting in the Radisson hotel, which almost all parties attended, to discuss future opposition tactics and plans. The National Forum reminded the other opposition parties of the unsuccessful outcome of this year’s never ending protest rallies and suggested the creation of an alternative government. However this idea did not gain any support, which irritated its leader Gubaz Sanikidze.
“Setting up an alternative government means bringing the situation under control. It means everyone should ignore the edicts of the existing Government and respect only the alternative one. This is a very simple scheme proven internationally. It will create parallel structures, Ministries and a Parliament, and then prepare a campaign of national civil disobedience. We offered this idea to our colleagues on 24 May but unfortunately they did not agree. This is a very simple scheme but in involves a lot of work and I see that most of these people do not want to work,” stated Sanikidze.
Asked whether an alternative government would create further destabilisation, as previous Georgian experience has shown, Sanikidze said: “This country has been destabilised for a long time .For some reason the Government and the country are identified with each other. This is deep ignorance, because this Government is anti-state and must be neutralised. Our scheme therefore brings stability.
“This is a universal national form of protest and the Government will not be able to endure it. Rustaveli Avenue protests will not be sufficient, but I could find neither friends nor genuine opponents of the Government in the opposition.”
The transparence of Pankisi
Rezonansi writes that after the Russian side’s accusation that the Georgian special services are giving Al Qaeda support the public must see clearly that Pankisi Gorge is safe and this Russian provocation must be exposed for what it is. Leader of the Alliance for Georgia Irakli Alasania has stated the same thing, and as the Kakheti Information Centre confirms he has demanded that diplomats and journalists be taken to Pankisi Gorge to see the situation for themselves.
Mamuka Areshidze, political analyst in Caucasian issues, also welcomes this idea and considers the situation in Pankisi Gorge to be concerning and says that the Government should pay special attention to it. He excludes there being any terrorists there, but although mainstream Islam has limited adherence in Pankisi Wahhabism is popular, which makes the situation critical. The Wahhabites in Georgia are loyal to the State at present but no one knows what might happen tomorrow.
“The accusation about a connection between Georgia and Al Qaeda is the part of the Russian plan to damage Georgia’s image abroad. The Russian special service is conducting an information war to prepare the grounds for further military action. Georgia must respond promptly,” stated Irakli Alasania.
Will Konstantine Gamsakhurdia return to Parliament?
24 Saati reports that the Parliamentary Bureau has supported Jondi Baghaturia’s idea of establishing a special Parliamentary Commission to investigate President Zviad Gamsakhurdia’s death. The commission will be formed this week.
The majority group members openly expressed their support for the idea at the Bureau sitting. Parliamentary majority leader Petre Tsiskarishvili said that “the truth should be revealed about the death of President Zviad Gamsakhurdia. This is a very important issue. Poeple should know what really happened.” Minority leader Giorgi Targamadze also supported to the idea, saying that legal attempts to ascertain the cause of the President’s death had ended without result.
It has been stated that the Government intends to appoint Konstantine Gamsakhurdia, son of the late President, as Chairman of the Commission. Gamsakhurdia won a seat in Parliament at the last election but repudiated it.
Leader of the Conservative Party Zviad Dzidziguri says that the Government is trying to lure the non-Parliamentary opposition into Parliament by setting up this commission. Dzidziguri states that he will not change his position on taking his seat. Konstantine Gamsakhurdia welcomes the setting up of the special commission to investigate Zviad Gamsakhurdia’s death.
Versia reports that the opposition have held a meeting in the Radisson hotel, which almost all parties attended, to discuss future opposition tactics and plans. The National Forum reminded the other opposition parties of the unsuccessful outcome of this year’s never ending protest rallies and suggested the creation of an alternative government. However this idea did not gain any support, which irritated its leader Gubaz Sanikidze.
“Setting up an alternative government means bringing the situation under control. It means everyone should ignore the edicts of the existing Government and respect only the alternative one. This is a very simple scheme proven internationally. It will create parallel structures, Ministries and a Parliament, and then prepare a campaign of national civil disobedience. We offered this idea to our colleagues on 24 May but unfortunately they did not agree. This is a very simple scheme but in involves a lot of work and I see that most of these people do not want to work,” stated Sanikidze.
Asked whether an alternative government would create further destabilisation, as previous Georgian experience has shown, Sanikidze said: “This country has been destabilised for a long time .For some reason the Government and the country are identified with each other. This is deep ignorance, because this Government is anti-state and must be neutralised. Our scheme therefore brings stability.
“This is a universal national form of protest and the Government will not be able to endure it. Rustaveli Avenue protests will not be sufficient, but I could find neither friends nor genuine opponents of the Government in the opposition.”
The transparence of Pankisi
Rezonansi writes that after the Russian side’s accusation that the Georgian special services are giving Al Qaeda support the public must see clearly that Pankisi Gorge is safe and this Russian provocation must be exposed for what it is. Leader of the Alliance for Georgia Irakli Alasania has stated the same thing, and as the Kakheti Information Centre confirms he has demanded that diplomats and journalists be taken to Pankisi Gorge to see the situation for themselves.
Mamuka Areshidze, political analyst in Caucasian issues, also welcomes this idea and considers the situation in Pankisi Gorge to be concerning and says that the Government should pay special attention to it. He excludes there being any terrorists there, but although mainstream Islam has limited adherence in Pankisi Wahhabism is popular, which makes the situation critical. The Wahhabites in Georgia are loyal to the State at present but no one knows what might happen tomorrow.
“The accusation about a connection between Georgia and Al Qaeda is the part of the Russian plan to damage Georgia’s image abroad. The Russian special service is conducting an information war to prepare the grounds for further military action. Georgia must respond promptly,” stated Irakli Alasania.
Will Konstantine Gamsakhurdia return to Parliament?
24 Saati reports that the Parliamentary Bureau has supported Jondi Baghaturia’s idea of establishing a special Parliamentary Commission to investigate President Zviad Gamsakhurdia’s death. The commission will be formed this week.
The majority group members openly expressed their support for the idea at the Bureau sitting. Parliamentary majority leader Petre Tsiskarishvili said that “the truth should be revealed about the death of President Zviad Gamsakhurdia. This is a very important issue. Poeple should know what really happened.” Minority leader Giorgi Targamadze also supported to the idea, saying that legal attempts to ascertain the cause of the President’s death had ended without result.
It has been stated that the Government intends to appoint Konstantine Gamsakhurdia, son of the late President, as Chairman of the Commission. Gamsakhurdia won a seat in Parliament at the last election but repudiated it.
Leader of the Conservative Party Zviad Dzidziguri says that the Government is trying to lure the non-Parliamentary opposition into Parliament by setting up this commission. Dzidziguri states that he will not change his position on taking his seat. Konstantine Gamsakhurdia welcomes the setting up of the special commission to investigate Zviad Gamsakhurdia’s death.