Press Scanner
Compiled by Messenger Staff
Wednesday, June 23
Zurab Noghaideli: I was Prime Minister in the Government many of the present opposition were taking money from
"If we had taken active measures after May 30 this would have inevitably led to bloodshed which would have consolidated the dictatorship of Saakashvili. We would not have been justified in taking that step. I will do what I have threatened to do to Saakashvili and Merabishvili - break their hands and legs! - as I am responsible for my words, but we will do it when we are properly prepared, and the result will be a great victory, not the consolidation of Saakashvili’s regime or bloodshed. I will not be diverted from this path," Zurab Noghaideli states in an interview with Alia under the headline ‘Keep looking forward to everything!!! - What did Okruashvili, Gachechiladze and Noghaideli discuss in Munich?’
"It is a bit awkward to hear the remarks coming from the Alliance. The public should be well aware that the opposition unity we sought to establish to overthrow Saakashvili’s regime on May 30 was disrupted by the Alliance. Let them reprimand themselves. As for the National Forum, who is behind it? Its remarks are not interesting, as it stands aside from the political process. I do not have much contact with the Forum but you can ask the other opposition parties how easy it is to deal with it. However I do not mean that if the Forum wishes to join a great opposition union it will be ignored," Noghaideli says.
"As for the Labour Party I have not heard any remarks from their side for a while. Tell me, what as it saying about me? I cannot help smiling about this. I am honest before God and the law. My only regret is my failure to make statements about various things when they were taking place. Let everyone mind his or her own business. If the opposition wish to accuse me of doing things they themselves do with the Government regularly they will never gain their point. I was a successful politician, unlike many of them. I was Prime Minister in the Government many of the present opposition were taking money from, although this is not the time to identify those who were financed by the Government," Noghaideli continues.
"No one is planning a revolution, at present anyway. I cannot say that we will demand early Presidential or Parliamentary elections either. The new opposition union should make a decision about this. I can assure you that this union will be established by all means," Zurab Noghaideli adds.
"I am telling you, remember June 21 - our opposition union will be established. The parties you are talking about, who won't take part because of me, may not join it but the ones I mean will. I am not only talking about the National Council parties. I have no illusion that the whole oppositional spectrum will unite, but the parties I am talking about will," Noghaideli says.
Occupiers turn off irrigation water in Kartli villages
24 Saati reports that the de facto administration of Akhalgori has issued another ultimatum. It has stopped supplying irrigation water to the villages of Akhalgori and Kaspi, stating that it will not restore it until Georgia provides a gas supply to the occupied territories.
The Kaspi region villages of Lamiskana, Igoeti, Tezi and Okami are without irrigation water. Odzisi in the Dusheti region is not only without irrigation water but drinking water. The local residents live by selling fruit, and the fruit trees need to be watered so that the crop can be gathered in autumn. If the water supply is not restored the locals will be indigent.
Zura Pitskhelauri, the head of the region, is trying to resolve this problem. "I have met Alan Jusoev, the head of the Ossetian administration of Akhalgori, to negotiate on this issue with him, but apparently it is not up to him to take a decision. The gas supply ceased after the August War because the pipes were damaged. Russian Company Itera had been supplying the territory with gas but it is unimaginable even for Russia to collect money from the occupied territories," Zura Pitskhelauri says.
The rehabilitation of the water pipes was launched before the August War 2008. The administration had all the necessary equipment for this but it was appropriated during the war.
"If we had taken active measures after May 30 this would have inevitably led to bloodshed which would have consolidated the dictatorship of Saakashvili. We would not have been justified in taking that step. I will do what I have threatened to do to Saakashvili and Merabishvili - break their hands and legs! - as I am responsible for my words, but we will do it when we are properly prepared, and the result will be a great victory, not the consolidation of Saakashvili’s regime or bloodshed. I will not be diverted from this path," Zurab Noghaideli states in an interview with Alia under the headline ‘Keep looking forward to everything!!! - What did Okruashvili, Gachechiladze and Noghaideli discuss in Munich?’
"It is a bit awkward to hear the remarks coming from the Alliance. The public should be well aware that the opposition unity we sought to establish to overthrow Saakashvili’s regime on May 30 was disrupted by the Alliance. Let them reprimand themselves. As for the National Forum, who is behind it? Its remarks are not interesting, as it stands aside from the political process. I do not have much contact with the Forum but you can ask the other opposition parties how easy it is to deal with it. However I do not mean that if the Forum wishes to join a great opposition union it will be ignored," Noghaideli says.
"As for the Labour Party I have not heard any remarks from their side for a while. Tell me, what as it saying about me? I cannot help smiling about this. I am honest before God and the law. My only regret is my failure to make statements about various things when they were taking place. Let everyone mind his or her own business. If the opposition wish to accuse me of doing things they themselves do with the Government regularly they will never gain their point. I was a successful politician, unlike many of them. I was Prime Minister in the Government many of the present opposition were taking money from, although this is not the time to identify those who were financed by the Government," Noghaideli continues.
"No one is planning a revolution, at present anyway. I cannot say that we will demand early Presidential or Parliamentary elections either. The new opposition union should make a decision about this. I can assure you that this union will be established by all means," Zurab Noghaideli adds.
"I am telling you, remember June 21 - our opposition union will be established. The parties you are talking about, who won't take part because of me, may not join it but the ones I mean will. I am not only talking about the National Council parties. I have no illusion that the whole oppositional spectrum will unite, but the parties I am talking about will," Noghaideli says.
Occupiers turn off irrigation water in Kartli villages
24 Saati reports that the de facto administration of Akhalgori has issued another ultimatum. It has stopped supplying irrigation water to the villages of Akhalgori and Kaspi, stating that it will not restore it until Georgia provides a gas supply to the occupied territories.
The Kaspi region villages of Lamiskana, Igoeti, Tezi and Okami are without irrigation water. Odzisi in the Dusheti region is not only without irrigation water but drinking water. The local residents live by selling fruit, and the fruit trees need to be watered so that the crop can be gathered in autumn. If the water supply is not restored the locals will be indigent.
Zura Pitskhelauri, the head of the region, is trying to resolve this problem. "I have met Alan Jusoev, the head of the Ossetian administration of Akhalgori, to negotiate on this issue with him, but apparently it is not up to him to take a decision. The gas supply ceased after the August War because the pipes were damaged. Russian Company Itera had been supplying the territory with gas but it is unimaginable even for Russia to collect money from the occupied territories," Zura Pitskhelauri says.
The rehabilitation of the water pipes was launched before the August War 2008. The administration had all the necessary equipment for this but it was appropriated during the war.