Alasania Comments on ‘Berlin Meeting’

Irakli Alasania, leader of Alliance for Georgia, said on July 1, that a meeting of two key opposition figures with ex-interior minister Kakha Targamadze in Berlin had nothing to do with the Alliance’s “political activities” and he was not even interested to know what had been discussed.

Davit Gamkrelidze, leader of New Rights Party, part of Alliance for Georgia and Levan Gachechiladze, an individual opposition politician, met with now Russian citizen Kakha Targamadze in mid-June. The meeting, which was caught on video and put on the Internet, was used by the authorities to backup their allegations that the opposition was receiving, or at least trying to receive funds from Russia or from Russia-based former Georgian officials.

Alasania, who made first public comments on the Berlin meeting now, after return from trip to the United States, said that it was “a private meeting” between the ex-interior minister and the two opposition politicians.

“We [leaders of parties within the Alliance for Georgia] coordinate all of our actions, which are related with our political activities. This meeting [in Berlin] was not of a political nature. I was not informed [by Gamkrelidze about the meeting] because, I repeat, it was a private meeting of those persons who participated in it. So, this meeting has no links with the political activities of the Alliance and my political team,” Alasania said.

“I have no information about what was discussed at that meeting and I have no interest to know it because it is not related with our political activities,” he added.

Alasania said that he did not know Kakha Targamadze personally.

“Targamadze was a part of the security system, which existed during the Shevardnadze’s presidency in our country and naturally, nobody has any desire to create similar system in Georgia,” said Alasania, who held the post of deputy security minister for two years since January, 2002.
 
“But, at the same time,” he continued, “I want to stress that the current situation in the law enforcement agencies is not better than it was during Shevardnadze’s presidency and it is clearly demonstrated by those facts, involving persecution of political opponents, use of special services and means against the political opponents – it confirms that the situation has not improved.”

He also said that the authorities’ attention towards this Berlin meeting was “over-exaggerated” and it was made deliberately “to overshadow crimes” committed by the authorities, including “a repressive act” against peaceful protesters on June 15 outside the Tbilisi police headquarters.

“Media hype about the so called ‘Berlin meeting’ aimed at overshadowing this very grave crime, committed by the authorities against the peaceful protesters,” Alasania said. “Those who have ordered to carry out that repressive act [on June 15 against peaceful protesters] should appear before court and should be punished… This repressive machine continues working and almost every day various opposition activists are being arrested.”

He also said that uncovering of bugging equipment in the offices of three opposition parties indicated once again that the authorities were misusing law enforcement agencies against the political opponents.
 
“This is a grave crime and we will pay lot of attention to these cases,” Alasania said.

“Despite these incidents we, the Alliance for Georgia, will not turn away from our path to resolve the political crisis through negotiations; hence, we will continue our dialogue and meetings with the authorities. We will present to them concrete proposals on how to make proper electoral environment in the country. This is very important, because whenever the elections are held, the system should be ready for holding of free and fair elections,” he said.

He, however, also said that if the authorities continued moving on this path of “repressions” it would hinder the resolution of the problems through dialogue, “which in turn will further deepen the political crisis.”

Alasania reiterated he planned to establish his own party this month, which would continue cooperation with the Republican and New Rights parties within the Alliance for Georgia.

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)