Backlash following former President Saakashvili’s statements about European Georgia leader Giga Bokeria
By Nika Gamtsemlidze
Tuesday, October 1
Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili says there are "fundamental differences" between him and one of the leaders of European Georgia, Giga Bokeria. Saakashvili called his former companion in arms "anti-Christian," who always had a "cynical attitude" towards Georgian traditions.
"I, with my beliefs, am an Orthodox Christian and no matter what anyone says, I carry a cross with me... Bokeria, this man has done his best to distance us from our traditional Christian values. And this is the reality,” said the former Georgian president in his interview with the Main Channel.
Saakashvili, however, believes that there are many "normal" people in "European Georgia" and he does not rule out cooperation with them in the future.
Nika Gvaramia and Eka Kvesitadze, hosts of the program, tried to find out exactly what actions of Bokeria were "anti-Christian," but they did not get any response from Saakashvili. Mikheil Saakashvili disagreed with reporters when his statements about defending "traditions" were compared to statements by Irma Inashvili, leader of the Alliance of Patriots, and Levan Vasadze, an ultra-conservative businessman.
Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili's statements about Giga Bokeria are described as populist and incomprehensible by a member of European Georgia, MP Irakli Abesadze. According to him, such attacks are damaging to the environment where opposition parties must defeat Ivanishvili in a united fight.
According to Giga Bokeria, one of the leaders of European Georgia, the only answer that he has for Saakashvili is that “he might soon declare himself as a victim of my 9-year-rule.”
Davit Bakradze, chairman of the European Georgia held a special press conference dedicated to the statements of the former President. According to Bakradze, "Mikheil Saakashvili departed from the political reality in the country, as well as the fundamental values on which he, in 2004, together with his team, began reforming and building a Western, tolerant country."
According to Bakradze, the problem is not the criticism of Giga Bokeria, but the criticism using the terminology and arguments of Levan Vasadze and the "Georgian March."
As Bakradze noted, the worst part of yesterday’s interview was that it was saying "that the Georgian people have only two alternatives - either Bidzina Ivanishvili or Mikheil Saakashvili."
European Georgia’s leader Gigi Ugulava says former President Saakashvili's statements are made-up and untrue. He said that if Saakashvili had wished to go to church no one would oppose him. According to him, Saakashvili was stopped only when “he was trying to give jeeps to the clerics.”
"I am ashamed that the man who was one of the creators of the Rose Revolution and the man who has done so much in this country as a president has said something like this," noted Ugulava.
Nino Lapiashvili wrote on her personal Facebook page that she decided to quit the United National Movement's political council and party since former president’s statements. Lapiashvili noted that she does not agree with Saakashvili’s remarks towards Bokeria.
Former President Saakashvili responded to criticism from the public following his statements with a video address, during which he talked about the importance of “Georgian traditions.” At the same time, Saakashvili says he and his team have the most innovative plans, but this does not mean that they are against "traditions."
