Burjanadze Downplays Opposition Hunger Strike as ‘Stage Show’

Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze said on March 10 that radical opposition tactics, including hunger strike, were due to the failure to secure a high turnout at Sunday’s opposition protest rally.

“If someone wants to [metaphorically] break down an open door just because they lack people at a rally and if decide today to find a way out by raising the political temperature [by going on hunger strike], then this is their problem. However, I think that they will fail to gain significant support,” Burjanadze said. “I understand that our colleagues in the opposition have chosen to exacerbate the situation. It is up to them to decide what methods and tactics they use in their political struggle. I am ready to meet the hunger strikers at 4 p.m., if they have something to tell me and if they do not intend only to stage a show.”

The number of protesters outside Parliament on Sunday was far less than at previous opposition protest rallies.

The parliamentary speaker also said that she had become a prime target of opposition attacks recently because parliamentary elections were looming.

Burjanadze also said that she was ready to meet with lawmakers from the New Rights Party. Six MPs from the party launched a hunger strike outside Burjanadze’ office in the parliament on March 10, demanding that the authorities meet opposition demands outlined in the January 29 memorandum. Earlier on the same day they demanded a meeting with Burjanadze. Burjanadze’s office, however, said that because of her tight schedule she wouldn’t be available till 4pm that day. The New Rights Party, however, later refused to meet with Burjanadze. 

Speaking in Parliament, Burjanadze said that the opposition, instead of protesting against the governmet, should join the government in condemning the Russian decision to lift sanctions on Abkhazia. She said the Russian move was really very dangerous.

President Saakashvili also called on the opposition earlier to cooperate on the matter. The opposition, however, has refused, saying the government’s proposal was a PR stunt designed to extricate them from an internal political crisis. The opposition instead called on the authorities to immediately leave the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and secure the withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers from the conflict zones.

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)