Okruashvili Doubts over ‘People Rebellion’ if Polls Rigged
Irakli Okruashvili, the ex-defense minister, said he doubted the opposition had ability to organize, what it calls, “people’s rebellion” if the May 21 parliamentary elections were rigged.
“Rebellion and organization of existing protest against the authorities need two components – desire and ability. I think the first component probably exists, but I doubt that the second one does. There is one more issue – if one decides that [rebellion] he never shouts about it in advance and does it without brag,” Okruashvili said in a brief interview with the Georgian weekly Kviris Palitra, published on May 19.
Okruashvili has been granted political asylum by France in April.
His political party – Movement for United Georgia – runs in the May 21 parliamentary elections on the joint ticket with the nine-party opposition bloc. Okruashvili himself was barred from running after court in Tbilisi found Okruashvili guilty of “large-scale extortion” and sentenced him to 11 years in prison in absentia in March.
The ex-defense minister also said in the newspaper interview that he would not comment at this stage whether the opposition bloc held a successful campaign or not. “Those leaders who have been in charge of the campaign will be responsible before the entire nation. They will have to admit all those mistakes that have been done if the campaign turns unsuccessful,” Okruashvili said.
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