Opera star Burchuladze: If I get involved in politics, it will be a forced action
By Messenger Staff
Thursday, February 4
“I have no wish to be involved in politics; if it happens, it will be a forced action,” the Georgian Development Fund’s (GDF) founder, the famous opera singer Paata Burchuladze, told Georgian media.
"The government may come to its senses and lead Georgia in the right direction. I greatly hope this will happen. I have absolutely no desire to go into politics. If I enter politics, it will be because there is no other choice. To be honest, we are expecting anything,” said Burchuladze.
According to him, the main problem of the government is its decision-making.
"A couple of times I have had contacts with several ministers. They cannot solve any issue, so why do we need them? They cannot solve any issue, therefore, new people who can make decisions and are not afraid of responsibilities must come to power,” said Burchuladze.
In addition, Burchuladze said he had been offered to take part in the elections by former presidents Zviad Gamsakhurdia, Eduard Shevardnadze and Mikheil Saakashvili, as well as by former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili. As Burchuladze explains, he declined and decided to support the country with his own activities.
“I never thought of becoming an opera singer, but life gave me this chance and I used it; I never wanted to be a philanthropist, but life created such conditions that I became a philanthropist; today I have established the foundation, and if life shows me that politics is my path I will take it,” Burchuladze told reporters after meeting some of the members of his foundation in November 2015.
The executive director of the GDF, Vano Machavariani, says that Burchuladze is convinced that he can do much for his country and the people, which is why the GDF was established.
“This fund intends to involve society - and mainly our country's youth - in political processes, in order to find ways to further develop the country, and also to offer our citizens a new model of the relationship between politicians and the public,” Machavariani stated.
According to Khatuna Lagazidze, a frequent media commentator on foreign and domestic political affairs who is now a member of the GDF, the main task of the fund is to establish the principle of social solidarity.
“Our main aim is to find the chronic problems, since Georgia suffers from a plethora of social, political and economic issues,” said Lagazidze.
