Opposition Figure Criticizes Foreign Diplomats for ‘Indifference’

Levan Gachechiladze, an opposition politician, called on the western diplomats to give up “indifferent stance” and make “concrete statements” about the crisis in Georgia, instead of only repeating “one word – ‘dialogue’.”

Speaking at the protest rally outside the Parliament on May 29 – the 51st day of ongoing street protests – Gachechiladze said that considerations were underway among some opposition parties to hold “small-scale” protest rallies outside the foreign diplomatic missions in Tbilisi.

“I want to say couple of words about foreign diplomatic mission accredited in Georgia; I do not like to speak about it, but I will say it softly: their stance towards the current crisis in Georgia amounts to indifference towards Georgia’s future,” Gachechiladze said.

“For twenty years we, together with these countries, including with the United States, have been trying desperately to turn Georgia into a free country, to build free society based on human rights and freedoms and today when we have such critical days only use of one world – ‘dialogue, dialogue’ – amounts to indifference and washing hands of the issue.”

“Everyone understands very well that this person [referring to President Saakashvili] is out of normality. Tell me what does it mean going to Rome after May 26 [protest rally]?.. With this person’s behavior Georgia is suffering with shame and ambassadors accredited here should not contribute to that,” he said.

Gachechiladze said he feared that by “such stance” Georgia’s western partners would waste all of their efforts of past twenty years aimed at “freeing Georgia from Russia’s clutches and would return us back there.”

“If they [referring to foreign diplomats] want Georgia to build a free and Georgian state, they should come out and state it loudly, that this crisis in Georgia should be put to an end; that this crisis should be overcome,” Gachechiladze said.

“There are already some considerations – although it is not yet decided, but some political parties are lobbying for holding small-scale, but numerous protest rallies outside the diplomatic missions and embassies,” Gachechiladze said. His announcement was followed with applauses from protesters.

“These protest rallies should no way be perceived as if that they are aimed at triggering hate among Georgians towards the western values; on the contrary; at those rallies we should say to them: give up indifferent stance and move on making concrete statements and comments, which Georgia’s future needs,” he added.

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