‘No Additional Guarantees, Above Memorandum’ – Burjanadze
Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze has denied providing “additional guarantees” to the opposition, saying commitments given in a government memorandum were “guarantees in themselves.”
Levan Gachechiladze, the nine-party opposition coalition leader, said on February 22 that the coalition was calling off a planned protest rally and hunger strike after receiving “firm guarantees” from Burjanadze that key opposition demands would be met.
“Several days ago I made a statement about the memorandum, which was criticized [by the opposition]; yesterday I again made a statement about what the authorities had already done and what the authorities were planning to do. I do not understand what additional guarantees are needed,” Burjanadze said in televised comments from Vienna, where she is participating in the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. “I believe that my official statements do not need any additional guarantees. There have not been and will not be any additional guarantees, because the statements we have made are already guarantees in themselves; the steps we are taking show that we are true to our word and we do what we say we’re going to do.”
She suggested that the opposition, in claiming it had received additional guarantees, was merely trying to vindicate itself.
“If someone needs ‘additional guarantees’ or some justification for moving away from radicalization and instead towards a normal democratic situation, this is another issue and something on whiich I will not comment,” Burjanadze said.
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