Ruling Party Meets Section of Opposition

Parliamentary Chairman Davit Bakradze and other leaders from the ruling party are holding a meeting with the leaders of the Christian-Democratic Party and a small party, On Our Own.

The talks come a few hours after the Christian-Democratic Party presented a set of conditions, which, if accepted, the party said, would help create better conditions for opposition lawmakers working in Parliament. Only MP Paata Davitaia, leader of On Our Own Party, who was elected to Parliament on an opposition coalition ticket, has agreed to engage in talks with ruling party based on the Christian-Democratic Party’s memorandum. Davitaia quit the coalition shortly after the elections.

The main opposition group – a coalition of eight parties – as well as the Labor Party has rejected the proposal.

Bakradze said on June 11 that the ruling party was ready to launch talks with the opposition to discuss the memorandum provisions. He cautioned, however, that not all the demands presented were acceptable.

“Negotiations mean making compromises. We are not setting any ultimatums,” Giorgi Targamadze, the Christian Democratic Party leader, told journalists before the meeting with ruling party leaders.

He also said that some in the opposition had chosen “the road of radical confrontation.”

“I respect their choice,” Targamadze continued, “but there are others in the opposition, who think that with coordination it will be possible to gain serious results by using all available levers and resources. I am one of them.”