‘Show Evidence or Stop Discrediting Opposition’ – Alasania to Saakashvili

Irakli Alasania, a leader of the opposition Alliance for Georgia, said in an appeal to the President on March 20 to prove allegations about some opposition groups’ alleged links to the Kremlin, otherwise to stop “groundless campaign.” 

“Recently you and your team members have intensified allegations about existence of political forces guided and financed by Russia, as well as about existence of a plot to stage large-scale disorders,” Alasania said in a written statement, described as “a special appeal to Mr. Saakashvili”

“I would like to remind you that like your team members and some lawmakers, who speak about the matter in an affirmative tone, the society too has the right to know about politicians engaged in criminal actions against the state interests,” the statement reads. “If this information represent sensitive issue for investigation, then why do these persons possess this kind of information speaking publicly about it? And if this is public information – then why it is not available for the society?”

“I offer you to make relevant facts public in next few days so that to prevent irresponsible politicians from engaging citizens in actions directed against the state. If you fail to do so, we will consider that these [allegations] are nothing else but groundless PR campaign, which only aims at scaring the society and at discrediting opposition,” Alasania said.

Gela Bezhuashvili, the chief of Georgian intelligence service, told lawmakers on March 20, that the Kremlin aimed at regime change in Georgia “through internal disorders and destabilization.”

He, however, also said: “Even if I knew whom they [the Russian authorities] will rely on [within Georgia], I would not have said it today; but we are watching the process and some things are emerging.”

A senior lawmaker from the ruling party, Givi Targamadze, said on March 20 that without documented evidence it was inappropriate to talk on concrete political forces, “but in general we should watch closely the process, because as far as there is such interest in Moscow, I am sure some people will emerge including among our political groups, which will try to play with those interests.”

President Saakashvili said on March 3 that “lots of money” had been invested in the Georgian politics recently, which would ”not be used for good deeds.”

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