Saakashvili’s return to deepen political crisis and tension, says MEP Viola Von Cramon
By Khatia Bzhalava
Thursday, September 30
MEP Viola Von Cramon has released a statement saying that former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili’s decision to return to Georgia for the October 2 municipal elections “will further deepen the crisis, create unnecessary tension, and damage precarious political processes as well as the democratic image of the country.
It became known several days ago that the former president Saakashvili is intending to arrive in Georgia as he posted a photo of a reserved ticket from Ukraine to Georgia for the evening of the day of municipal elections on October 2.
Saakashvili faces several criminal charges such as Violent dispersal of anti-government mass protests on November 7, 2007, unlawful raiding of Imedi television company by riot police, exceeding official powers by using violence and appropriation or embezzlement of budget money in large quantities. The ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party states that Saakashvili will be arrested upon his arrival to Georgia.
According to MEP Cramon, confrontation and violence are reaching ‘extremely dangerous’ levels in Georgia ahead of the elections and she believes that against this background, “no politician who genuinely puts the interests of his country above everything else should rock the boat by provoking further polarization.” Cramon states that the EU has no resources or desire to mediate yet another ‘unnecessary’ political crisis, which, according to her, will inevitably occur in case Saakashvili returns.
“We, international friends of Georgia, remain committed to the people of Georgia who deserve responsible politicians with the interests of their country at heart,” reads the statement.
Nika Melia, the head of the UNM party does not rule out that the president of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili may pardon Saakashvili if he returns to Georgia. According to him, Georgian Dream does not trust Zurabishvili anymore, and they theoretically allow the possibility that she may pardon Saakashvili. The reason for this could be the fact that President Zurabishvili has recently criticized the government for denying the EU loan and said earlier this week that a coalition government is necessary for Georgia. As Melia announced, in order to have insurance that Saakashvili will stay in prison, Georgian Dream has instructed several prosecutors to prepare the ground for a new charge against him.
GD has dismissed reports on new charges and stated that there are no expectations that President Zurabishvili may pardon Saakashvili.
Shalva Papuashvili one of the leaders of the Georgian Dream stressed that Saakashvili has been sentenced to three years in the case of the murder of Sandro Girgvliani and six years in the case of beating Valeri Gelashvili. “I do not think that any of our international partners will express willingness to interfere in the release of a man who is convicted in the cases of murder and beating,” he said.
