Okruashvili Criticizes Opposition for Lack of Radicalism

Irakli Okruashvili, a former defense minister, criticised the opposition coalition for what he called its failure to capitalize on popular radicalism and for a loss of momentum in pressurising the authorities. 

Okruashvili, the leader of the Movement for United Georgia Party, which is part of the eight-party opposition coalition, was speaking in an interview with the Tbilisi-based Kavkasia TV. The wide-ranging interview, which lasted more than an hour, was recorded in Paris on March 1 and aired by the small TV station, which only covers Tbilisi, late on March 6.

“I really don’t want to become a new source of discord for the opposition, but I really can not avoid saying one thing,” Okruashvili said. “The opposition risks going back to the situation in which it was before September 2007, if it continues to demonstrate a certain kind of inconsistency. By inconsistency I mean not in terms of goals, but of strategy.”

“The mood among the people required radical and tough actions from the opposition. They [the opposition] have failed to notice that. Naturally there are signs of frustration [among opposition supporters] and the opposition should now respond to this somehow.”

The interview was recorded four days before the eight-party opposition coalition announced that it was planning to resume protest rallies from March 9 and one day after the Republican Party announced it was quitting the opposition coalition to run independently in the parliamentary elections.

Okruashvili slammed the Republicans’ decision to quit the coalition.

“To tell you the truth, I really have not heard any strong argument by the Republican Party for its decision to quit [the coalition],” Okruashvili said. “I can say one thing for sure, that this step by the Republican Party was not in keeping with opposition goals and by doing so they [the Republicans] have endangered [the opposition’s] chances of success. The argument [put forth by the Republicans] that running separately will mean more lawmakers in the new parliament is not an argument for me. Unfortunately, it was not possible to maintain unity, but it is not a tragedy.”

He also said that he had made “a decision in principle” to run in the parliamentary elections this May, but added that “certain circumstances” could prevent him from doing so. Okruashvili, who is currently in Paris awaiting his extradition case expected for April 16, is wanted in Georgia on charges of large-scale bribery through extortion, money laundering and negligence while serving as minister. His case, initially due to be heard on February 27, has been postponed for next month. He said this suited him fine, as so long as his case was pending in France, he could not be sentenced by a Georgian court in absentia. Such a conviction would automatically bar him from running in the parliamentary elections. 

He also said that he would not seek election if demands outlined in an opposition memorandum were not met by the authorities.

In the interview he also spoke about, what he called, the fraudulent January 5 presidential election and criticized the west for endorsing it. By doing so, he said, the west had undermined its positive image in the eyes of the Georgian people.

“If the parliamentary elections are held in a similar manner, the west will be totally discredited in Georgia. That will be unfortunate,” Okruashvili said.

He also criticised President Saakashvili for, as he put it, having no desire to reunite Georgia. Okruashvili also said that Saakashvili would not be able “to rehabilitate himself” in the eyes of the Georgian people after the November events.

“Saakashvili’s rehabilitation is impossible… his bureaucrats – especially [Vano] Merabishvili [the interior minister] – thought their rehabilitation would be possible immediately after they restored control over Abkhazia, [but] this is nonsense. They are not the kind of people capable of restoring control over Abkhazia. Inconsistencies observed in [Saakashvili’s rhetoric] demonstrate this… he has no plans.”

“I spoken with him face-to-face after the Kodori operation [in summer 2006] to draft a plan on extending that operation – I will not go into the details so as not to cause further controversy – and he answered in the following way: I had a dream last night, he told me, as if we both were in the Hague prison [the UN war crimes tribunal] and Carla Del Ponte [then chief prosecutor at the UN war crimes tribunal] was our prosecutor… It is impossible to reunite the country without taking risk; it is impossible to reunite the country, including through possible military operations, and at the same time want to receive a Nobel peace prize… He has no desire to reintegrate Abkhazia, no desire to reunite the country.”

Responding to President Saakashvili’s statement made on December 27 that Okruashvili was his “biggest mistake,” the ex-defense minister said: “Yes I agree that I was his main mistake, because I was not disgraceful like [Interior Minister Vano] Merabishvili, because I didn’t bow to him like [Zurab] Adeishvili [the ex-general prosecutor and now chief of the President’s administration] and I was not like [influential MP Giga] Bokeria; so he may think that I was his main mistake… I have created a huge discomfort for him and I have actually destroyed him – if I can use this term in this context.”