Friday, October 26, 2007, #205 (1472)

Opposition campaigners work the coastline
By Ana Datiashvili

The opposition coalition traveled along the western Black Sea coastline this week to rally supporters for the upcoming November 2 protest in Tbilisi.

Residents turned out to meet representatives of the opposition coalition, which formed as the United National Council in the wake of the mass protest following the controversial arrest of ex-minister Irakli Okruashvili.

Some protestors told news media they would be willing to travel to Tbilisi for the protest, but feared that transportation links would be cut.

There were conflicting accounts of the demonstrators’ numbers. In the port town of Poti, Rustavi 2 reported, the opposition failed to draw out a single local supporter.

Rival television network Imedi TV, however, said that the opposition held successful rallies there and in other towns.

Opposition leaders were optimistic.
 
“We met many people today, and I’m surprised that Saakashvili could manage to turn so many people against him,” Konstantin Gamsakhurdia, of the political movement Freedom, said in Guria on October 24.
A Freedom movement member, meanwhile, was arrested that day in Samagrelo province for disturbing the peace. His colleagues claim he was merely handing out copies of the opposition coalition’s manifesto.
President Mikheil Saakashvili, in a government session televised live that same day, spoke about the rising prices of basic consumer goods like salt and sugar, which he blamed largely on local monopolies.

Georgian voters consistently identify inflation and rising consumer prices as among their top concerns.

The president criticized the existing anti-monopoly agency for its inefficiency, recommending that it be replaced with an entirely new body.

He went on to highlight some of the successes the government has had in cracking down on racketeering in the country, but sent a warning to a handful lawmakers which he says are helping unscrupulous businesses gain monopolies in Georgia.

“If anyone thinks I don’t know what sort of lobbying goes in parliament, they’re seriously mistaken,” Saakashvili declared.

Opposition representative Kakha Kukava, speaking with the Messenger, dismissed the president’s appearance as another public relations act to win voter support.



© The Messenger. All rights reserved. Please read our disclaimer before using any of the published materials.