S.Ossetian Alternative Leader to Address Georgian Parliament

Tbilisi-loyal South Ossetian alternative leader Dimitri Sanakoev was invited to address the Georgian Parliament on May 11, wherein the process of legalizing his administration in the Tbilisi-controlled areas of the breakaway region is expected to be finalised.

President Saakashvili told the National Security Council on May 7 that “it is time to move from words to action” and set up the provisional administrative entity in South Ossetia.

“In recent days Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze and a group of lawmakers, including some opposition MPs, have been conducting consultations on setting up the provisional administration with representatives of public-political organizations in the Tskhinvali region. The provisional administrative entity is an entity for a transitional period, which aims at the establishment of a fully fledged autonomous entity and final resolution of the conflict. I believe that the time has come to move from words to action and submit the issue to Parliament. We needed lawmakers” involvement in this process just for this reason; because this is a forum for the entire national-political [circle], and not only for the executive government, and all the political forces, as well as Parliament,” Saakashvili said while speaking at a session of the National Security Council.

Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze, who visited the South Ossetian conflict zone on May 4 and met with Dimitri Sanakoev in his headquarters in the Georgian village of Kurta, briefed members of the National Security Council on these talks.

“We deal with very serious people [referring to Sanakoev”s administration], who fully understand the responsibilities they have assumed,” Burjanadze said.

South Ossetian secessionist authorities in Tskhinvali, as well as the Russian side, have denounce Sanakoev”s administration as Tbilisi”s “puppet government.”

Burjanadze dismissed such allegations as “very funny.”

“Because during the talks they [Sanakoev”s administration] have raised very concrete issues related with the region”s autonomy, as well as the name [some forces in Georgia are against the name “South Ossetia” and instead use the term Samachablo, or Tskhinvali Region] and the distribution of powers with the central authorities, as well as issues related with the budget and finances; so they had very concrete questions,” Burjanadze said.

She also told the National Security Council that she had intended to meet with South Ossetian secessionist leader Eduard Kokoity as well, “but he has rejected the proposal.”

President Saakashvili said that even the offer to hold talks with Kokoity was “something very special.”

“This is a person [referring to Kokoity] who preaches violence, a person who has committed violence and plans to continue this violence and the fact that we are offering him talks is something very special,” Saakashvili said.

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