Georgian Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze condemned, on July 14, an attack against MP from opposition Republic party Valerie Gelashvili, which resulted in the MP being hospitalized with severe injuries.
?It is alarming that such an incident can occur in the center of Tbilisi during the daytime. I have personally talked with Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili, who assured me that the Interior Ministry will pay due attention and investigate this incident,? Nino Burjanadze told reporters on July 14.
Reportedly, several masked men, armed with automatic weapons stopped MP Gelashvili?s car and started to beat the parliamentarian.
MPs from the parliamentary opposition, including the Republicans, the Conservatives and the New Rights, estimated that the attack against the opposition MP was a political reprisal for newspaper interviews, in which Gelashvili often slams the authorities.
?Although Gelashvili?s statements were and still are unacceptable for us, it is of principled importance for us to investigate the incident and punish the guilty,? Giga Bokeria, an influential parliamentarian from the ruling National Movement party, said at a news conference on July 14.
Wealthy businessman Valerie Gelashvili, who was elected in the central Georgian single-mandate constituency of Khashuri, joined the opposition Republican Party last month.
Gelashvili?s firm is current in charge of construction works being carried out on the President?s new residence in Tbilisi. But he has claimed recently that the authorities have failed to follow the contract and allocate funds to his firm.
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