MP Admits Hunger Strike is Pre-election Campaign

(Tbilisi, July 22, 2003, Civil Georgia) – MP Koba Davitashvili of the opposition National Movement party does not reject that the hunger strike launched by 5 members of the National Movement in the Justice Ministry of Georgia, who demand funding of the budgetary backlog on pensions, is definitely connected with the upcoming parliamentary elections.

“Unlike other politicians, we launched our pre-election campaign long ago. We try to fix the requirements of our people. We do not aim at coming to power, we only wish to defend public interests,” Koba Davitashvili told Civil Georgia.

The hunger strikers intend to continue the protest action until the 1998-99 budgetary backlog on pensions is covered.

While commenting on the MPs hunger strike, Justice Minister Roland Giligashvili said the hunger strikers were less concerned about the fate of pensioners, calling the hunger strike a pre-election campaign.

He said MPs had no right to launch a protest in the state institution, urging the Prosecutor’s Office to investigate the case.