Opposition Politician: No Change in Strategy

Kakha Kukava, co-leader of Conservative Party, one of over dozen of opposition parties behind the ongoing protests, said the opposition’s strategy of street protests had proved to be effective.

“We do not plan to bring novelty to our strategy. Our strategy has justified itself; no changes are made in a successful strategy. Some new tactical steps may be introduced – picketing [at more venues]; expanding [protests] throughout provinces; but the strategy will not be changed,” Kukava said in an interview with the Georgian daily, public on May 2.

There have been suggestions coming mainly from non-political circles, that the opposition may also consider possibility of pushing for early parliamentary election, instead of the presidential one.

Lasha Tugushi, an editor-in-chief of the Rezonansi newspaper, said that although himself sharing the demand for the President’s resignation, opposition’s current strategy amounted to “all-or-nothing now” and leading to a stalemate. He said that the opposition should also explore other options, including pushing for early parliamentary elections. Tugushi’s view, who was speaking in the late night political talk show on Kavkasia TV on May 1, was immediately rejected and criticized by Rezo Shavishvili from the opposition National Forum party. He said in the same TV program that it was not possible to hold fair elections under Saakashvili’s presidency. 

Kakha Kukava also brushed off suggestions that the process was in a stalemate. “The authorities are in a stalemate not the opposition,” he said in the newspaper interview.

He also said that he personally did not believe that it was possible to negotiate with President Saakashvili.

“Saakashvili is insane… That’s the information leaked from his security service,” Kukava said. “He uses tranquillizers. How can he agree on a dialogue?”

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