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Compiled by Messenger Staff
Monday, July 5
Tina Khidasheli: Alasania has made a big mistake
Tina Khidasheli, one of the leaders of the Republican Party, states in an interview with Versia that Irakli Alasania’s decision to break up the Alliance was a great mistake. She says it was a mistake to concentrate on his own party rather than fulfill the mandate given to the Alliance, which included the Republicans, by Tbilisi citizens.
"Alasania said on TV that the door of his party was open for me. This was ridiculous, shameful, absolutely unacceptable and abusive for me; when people forget what a telephone is for after 20 years of relations, everything becomes clear. I cannot understand how the dissolved Alliance can form a single faction in the City Council. So why did it break up? This makes no sense. A replacement faction exists under the neutral title ‘We Tbilisi Citizens’ not ‘Alliance for Georgia’, but I am not a member of it," Tina Khidasheli says.
"No bargain could be made before the elections, but it was unacceptable to me to hold a secret meeting with Ugulava behind our backs when the Alliance had not yet broken up. This meeting was followed by many other meetings," Khidasheli continues.
"It is wrong to sit around crying about the results. Despite the results, I, Tina Khidasheli, am the rightful Tbilisi City Council member for Saburtalo. I cannot blame the electorate for the fact that I failed to win the seat, which is why I will not stop monitoring who goes to Munich and who goes to Moscow and makes certain decisions.
"The Republicans will not cease fighting. I respect Alasania but I do not agree with his decision. I am not going to interfere in his plans, but I hope we will not be blamed for the dissolution of the Alliance," Tina Khidasheli adds.
"Irakli Alasania was a political leader with ambitions to get to the top. But he has decided to waste the support he has gained by starting again from zero. The figures show that Republicans and New Rights candidates had more support than members of Alasania's party at the polls," – Khidasheli explains.
”We had mud thrown at us, but did not respond. I, Tina Khidasheli, now warn everyone not to make ungrounded allegations any longer, because we will not leave anything unanswered anymore,” Khidasheli stated.
Gamsakhurdia ready to become Vice-Speaker
Rezonansi writes that Konstantine Gamsakhurdia is preparing to take the post of Vice-Speaker of Parliament if the government wants him to, but a new faction needs to be set up for this to happen. The Government has tried to demonstrate to the international community that it has goodwill towards the opposition by allowing those who refused to take their seats to return, and offering Konstantine Gamsakhurdia this post is part of the same campaign, the newspaper says.
Gamsakhurdia agreed to enter Parliament when the Commission investigating the reasons for Zviad Gamsakhurdia’s death was established last year. This has still not published a conclusion and its term has been prolonged for a third time. However, it seems Gamsakhurdia now wants to be Vice-Speaker. Certainly the post carries rather attractive privileges, but to be nominated he would have to either join an opposition faction or set up a new one to nominate him.
Tina Khidasheli, one of the leaders of the Republican Party, states in an interview with Versia that Irakli Alasania’s decision to break up the Alliance was a great mistake. She says it was a mistake to concentrate on his own party rather than fulfill the mandate given to the Alliance, which included the Republicans, by Tbilisi citizens.
"Alasania said on TV that the door of his party was open for me. This was ridiculous, shameful, absolutely unacceptable and abusive for me; when people forget what a telephone is for after 20 years of relations, everything becomes clear. I cannot understand how the dissolved Alliance can form a single faction in the City Council. So why did it break up? This makes no sense. A replacement faction exists under the neutral title ‘We Tbilisi Citizens’ not ‘Alliance for Georgia’, but I am not a member of it," Tina Khidasheli says.
"No bargain could be made before the elections, but it was unacceptable to me to hold a secret meeting with Ugulava behind our backs when the Alliance had not yet broken up. This meeting was followed by many other meetings," Khidasheli continues.
"It is wrong to sit around crying about the results. Despite the results, I, Tina Khidasheli, am the rightful Tbilisi City Council member for Saburtalo. I cannot blame the electorate for the fact that I failed to win the seat, which is why I will not stop monitoring who goes to Munich and who goes to Moscow and makes certain decisions.
"The Republicans will not cease fighting. I respect Alasania but I do not agree with his decision. I am not going to interfere in his plans, but I hope we will not be blamed for the dissolution of the Alliance," Tina Khidasheli adds.
"Irakli Alasania was a political leader with ambitions to get to the top. But he has decided to waste the support he has gained by starting again from zero. The figures show that Republicans and New Rights candidates had more support than members of Alasania's party at the polls," – Khidasheli explains.
”We had mud thrown at us, but did not respond. I, Tina Khidasheli, now warn everyone not to make ungrounded allegations any longer, because we will not leave anything unanswered anymore,” Khidasheli stated.
Gamsakhurdia ready to become Vice-Speaker
Rezonansi writes that Konstantine Gamsakhurdia is preparing to take the post of Vice-Speaker of Parliament if the government wants him to, but a new faction needs to be set up for this to happen. The Government has tried to demonstrate to the international community that it has goodwill towards the opposition by allowing those who refused to take their seats to return, and offering Konstantine Gamsakhurdia this post is part of the same campaign, the newspaper says.
Gamsakhurdia agreed to enter Parliament when the Commission investigating the reasons for Zviad Gamsakhurdia’s death was established last year. This has still not published a conclusion and its term has been prolonged for a third time. However, it seems Gamsakhurdia now wants to be Vice-Speaker. Certainly the post carries rather attractive privileges, but to be nominated he would have to either join an opposition faction or set up a new one to nominate him.