Opposition Leaders Deny Differences over Agenda of Possible Talks

Opposition leaders have strongly denied that there was some sort of difference in their positions about the agenda of potential meeting between them and President Saakashvili.

In their statements on possible meeting, politicians from Alliance for Georgia say that President Saakashvili’s resignation should be a major topic of possible talks between the opposition and the authorities. But unlike other opposition parties, they also added “We are also ready to listen to the proposals of the authorities on how they view overcoming the crisis.” It has triggered speculation that the Alliance for Georgia was more in favor of a flexible position on the agenda of the potential meeting.

Irakli Alasania, the leader of Alliance for Georgia, also including New Rights and Republican parties, told journalist later on April 16 that there was no reason for interpretations of the Alliance’s position.

“I can not understand why there are various interpretations. We have all [the opposition leaders] stated that we are ready to convey the message of the people to Saakashvili and to listen to his arguments,” he said.

Nino Burjanadze, leader of Democratic Movement-United Georgia, has also strongly denied that the positions varied between various opposition parties.

“The authorities want to cause a split in the opposition and are trying to achieve it through various methods, including political and non-political methods; but I hope very much that they will fail to achieve it. Anyway, we manage to cope with these attempts in a dignified way and I think, it is a very unpleasant surprise [for them] that the entire opposition stands side by side and beside the society, which demands president’s resignation,” Burjanadze told journalists after meeting with EU special representative for South Caucasus, Peter Semneby.

“There is nothing on the agenda except of Saakashvili’s resignation and there can’t be anything else. This is the united position of the opposition, which reflects the will of the Georgian people. This is not a whim of a political leader or a party; this is what the society demands and we will not step back in this regard,” she said.

“The only issue on which a dialogue can take place is the President’s immediate and painless resignation. I am sure that no one in the opposition will change this position neither tomorrow, nor day after tomorrow,” Burjanadze added.

She also said that the Alliance’s remarks on readiness to listen to what the authorities proposals were was not at all a sign of differences among the position of various opposition leaders.

“When you speak with interlocutor – you say what you want to say and listen to what your counterpart tells you and you also defend your position. I am sure the opposition will defend its position. I am not going to make a step back and I hear the same position from other opposition leaders as well,” Burjanadze said.

Eka Beselia of Movement for United Georgia said after the meeting with EU diplomat on April 16: “Only Saakashvili’s peaceful resignation can be a topic of discussion. The demand about his resignation cannot be changed.”

Kakha Shartava, the leader of National Forum, said: “A dialogue should be about the change of the authorities. Everybody should see that Georgia is united in this demand. If the authorities have a proposal that will be acceptable for the population, this will be a topic of discussion. A topic of discussion should be an issue, which will be enough and satisfactory for those people, who were standing, are standing and will be standing in the streets.”

“The society will never tolerate that Saakashvili remains on his position and therefore, we should do our best to achieve his resignation. We have a constitutional right to do it,” Konstantine Gamsakhurdia, the leader of Party of Freedom, told journalists after meeting with the EU special representative.

The EU diplomat met with the opposition leaders separately on April 16. He also plans to meet with MP Giorgi Targamadze, the leader of Christian-Democratic Movement and of parliamentary minority, later on April 16.

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