Leader of the radical opposition Labor Party Shalva Natelashvili said on September 4 that U.S.-funded organizations in Georgia ?are working to totally falsify? the October 5 local self-governance elections.
?All the American institutions in Georgia ? and also abroad ? including U.S. Agency for International Development, National Democratic Institute, International Republican Institute, Millennium Challenge Account, are working to totally falsify elections to secure the victory of Saakashvili?s party. We will no longer tolerate anyone?s attempts to interfere in our sovereign election process,? Shalva Natelashvili said at a news conference on September 4.
This is not the first case of Natelashvili targeting the United States in his speeches. Last July he unleashed criticism towards U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Matthew Bryza, whom Natelashvili described as ?Gray Cardinal.? Natelashvili called on the U.S. authorities to sack Bryza whose, as Natelashvili put it, biased reporting on the situation in Georgia and support of Saakashvili?s administration undermines the promotion of democracy in the region and ties between the U.S. and Georgia.
-
-
-
-
This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)