Newsgroup: it.politica.internazionale
Titolo: Opposition launches ‘Georgia without Saakashvili’ campaign

Opposition launches ‘Georgia without Saakashvili’ campaign
02.10.2007, 18.16
 
 TBILISI, October 2 (Itar-Tass) -- The National Council of Opposition
Organizations, which unites over ten parties and movements, is launching a
nationwide campaign entitled “Georgia without President Saakashvili.” 
The council incorporates the People’s Party, the Republican Party, the
Conservative Party, the Labor Party, the Path of Georgia led by former
foreign minister Salome Zourabichvili, the Movement for United Georgia,
and the Freedom Movement led by Konstantin Gamsakhurdia – the son of
Georgia’s first president Zviad Gamsakhurdia. 
“The leaders of parties affiliated to the National Council will meet with
Georgian intellectuals in Tbilisi tomorrow. They will go to the Gurdzhaani
district of eastern Georgia on Saturday to start a peaceful march under
the slogan ‘Georgia without President Saakashvili’,” National Council
staff chief and parliament deputy Koka Guntsadze said. 
Two large opposition parties, the New Right and Industry Saves Georgia,
refused to join the National Council. Both parties have parliament
factions. 
Zourabichvili said earlier she would inform the U.S. administration and
politicians about anti-democratic steps of the incumbent Georgian
authorities. 
“Democratic processes in Georgia have almost stopped, and the country is
passing through a difficult period,” she said in an interview with the
Tbilisi-based Mze television channel at the end of September. 
The minister, who was visiting the United States, said she “will tell
American representatives about the Georgian situation and ask them to pay
serious attention to the promotion of democratic processes in Georgia.” 
Zourabichvili, 54, has been in opposition to President Mikhail Saakashvili
for two years after her dismissal. This far, Saakashvili enjoys support of
the United States. 
Zourabichvili was born to a family of Georgian political immigrants in
France. She worked for the French Foreign Ministry for 30 years and was
appointed the French ambassador in Tbilisi in September 2003. She headed
the Georgian Foreign Ministry in March 2004 with consent of then French
president Jacques Chirac. Zourabichvili received Georgian citizenship and
preserved her French naturalization. She was dismissed in October 2005 and
founded a political party, Way of Georgia, in January 2006. 
The opposition held a rally near the Georgian parliament last Friday. No
incidents happened but two or three squabbles between the protesters and
the police. 
The rally of about 10,000 opposition members lasted for 3.5 hours. It was
when parliament member elected in a single-mandate district, Levan
Gachechiladze, suggested forming a national movement under the slogan
“Long Live Georgia without President Saakashvili.” 
Leaders of the People’s Party, the Conservative Party, the Movement for
United Georgia and other opposition organizations sharply criticized the
authorities and demanded early presidential and parliament elections. 
One of the leading opposition organizations, the New Right, took no part
in the rally. The party, which has a parliament faction, said it would not
engage in any actions supporting former defense minister Irakly
Okruashvili, as “the latest events mirrored a fight between ruling clans.” 
“My friends and I did not take part in the overthrowing of then President
Zviad Gamsakhurdia [in January 1002] and the Revolution of Roses [in
November 2003]. We will not take part in the overthrowing of these
authorities either. We oppose Mikhail Saakashvili, but we think that the
administration must change through elections,” party leader and parliament
deputy David Gamkrelidze said. He plans to run for president in 2008. 
 
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 founded a political party, Way of Georgia, in January 2006. 
Se può interessare, la Zourabishvili mi sembra una delle poche 
persone che oggi in Georgia potrebbero avere la competenza e la 
serietà per proporsi come un'alternativa democratica credibile a 
Saakashvili, visto lo stato pietoso dell'opposizione. Purtroppo, 
ho paura che dietro non abbia nessuno, e stanno già cercando di 
bloccarne la corsa alle presidenziali del 2008 con la scusa che 
negli ultimi 15 anni non è vissuta in Georgia (la Zourabishvili 
è nata ed è stata educata in Francia, dove ha fatto carriera in 
diplomazia). Per quel che vale, le faccio i miei auguri, ma non 
mi aspetto granchè...
M.