Georgian Party appeals US to stop supporting Saakashvili

The United States must stop assisting the authoritarian Government of Georgia – members of the Georgian party stated during their demonstration in front of the US Embassy on May 16. They demanded that the United States should stand with the Georgian people and assist the democratic development of the country.

“We don’t want pseudo democracy. We have only one appeal towards the United States, to stop assisting the current regime and help Georgian people to develop democracy. The United States really has the lever for this, “the party leader, Sozar Subari, said. Based on fellow member, Levan Gachechiladze, Georgia should become an example for the world of peaceful changing of the President. As he has mentioned in 2008 the Bush administration took away the right of free elections of Georgian people, “the Georgian people elected me as the President of Georgia and not Mikheil Saakashvili than.”

Several hours before the rally, the party made an appeal towards the US President, drafted by the Georgian party leaders. This did not echo the aggression of its previous statement regarding the United States, made by Irakli Okruashvili who had previously stated the US is burying democracy in Georgia and is poisoning Georgian society). The appeal towards Barack Obama reads that the Georgian Party respects democratic values and its main aim is forming the country based on democracy, however the main obstacle in the way is the current President Mikheil Saakashvili and his Government, which have managed to politicize and control almost all fields in the country. The appeal also reads that the public polls made by American International Organizations NDI and IRI do not reflect the reality. The appeal to the United States read, “there is no precondition that Saakashvili might change his way and based on this, it seems unclear to a lot of our citizens why the United States supports Saakashvili? The Georgian Party appeal to you to cease supporting Saakashvili and support Georgia, this appeal is based on our awareness that the US is the most important partner of Georgia as well as our feeling of respect towards America.”

This rally will not make any changes in Georgian-US relations- leader of Our Georgia-Free Democrats, Irakli Alasania, said, “I can’t guess, why even a small part of Georgian society might protest against our strategic partner. We remember how huge the US support towards Georgia has been in the last 20 years. I think that this demonstration will not affect the two states' relations.”

The National Democrats and its member Guram Chakhvadze have called the Georgian Party’s action anti American hysteria. As he mentioned during the press conference such an anti-American attitude was part of Russian policy , “the main aim of which is to create the wrong impression that Georgian society is against pro west orientation, and that the alternative of this is Georgia’s return to Russian orbit. “

Apart from the demonstration, the majority representatives have thanked the US, for its support, “the United States supports our sovereignty and territorial integrity. The relations between the countries are strengthened through a strategic charter. The only country which creates danger for Georgia is Russia, “MP, Goka Gabashvili, said.

The Ambassador, John Bass, commented on the issue several days ago where he mentioned that freedom of assembly for peaceful protest is an important part of a vibrant democratic state. As for whether the appeal of the Georgian party would be conveyed to the US or not, the press service of the Embassy, said, that, “the US Ambassador’s administration will decide on this, however, as a rule, all official letters, which are brought to the Embassy are sent”.

Analyst Zaza Piralishvili considers that the current authorities will always use such rallies against the US for its own interests, “Saakashvili and its Government by their roughness and authoritarianism create obstacles for Georgian society’s development. Such kind of authorities’ survival greatly depend on opposition’s bad actions oriented on foreign factors, “the analyst said and mentioned that Saakashvili knows very well that the west would prefer banal authoritarianism to permanent chaos.