Parliament’s Weekly Review. August 27 – September 2 2001

Speaker of the Parliament Demands Changes

Open letter of the Speaker of the Parliament to President Shevardnadze, which has been published by “Rezonansi” and “Alia” newspapers, deepened further existing governmental crisis in the country. On August 29th, the day when the letter was published, both President and his press secretary stated that content of the letter has been preliminarily agreed between Zhvania and Shevardnadze. However Zhvania refused this fact.

On August 30th press conference Zhvania left President Shevardnadze before rather hard decision. Speaker of the Parliament stated: “Changes in personnel only would not lead us to success. We must implement serious institutional changes as well and we are paying attention to this. We must ensure integrity of the “economic team” [of the government]. We must put an end to an absurd situation, when the Government members blame each other in every sin, demand resignation and even threaten with arrests. Such things do not happen in the governments of any other country. The Government must function as a single team”.

Speaker of the Parliament turned to press only after confirming that the Majority is supporting his positions. Session of the council of the Parliamentary Majority lasted for almost four hours on August 29th. Most influential members of the “Citizens’ Union” attended the session. According to official information, the council approved ideas, given in the letter and decided to address the President as well in order to support Zhvania’s positions. Deputy Speaker of the Parliament Eldar Shengelaia, and Chairman of the Parliamentary Commission for National Consent Vasil Maglaperidze were instructed to prepare the text of the address. The text has been prepared on the next day. It actually repeated demands of the Speaker of the Parliament, however in terms of evaluation of the processes was rather weaker than the first document. On August 30th process of signing of the address by the Majority members has been launched.

“We did not aim to naming particular persons in this address. I have done it for many times during the meeting of the council with President Shevardnadze. Therefore, I did not think it necessary to go into details in order to avoid an impression that there is a ‘fight’ between the two teams. There should be objective criteria and guilty must leave the power despite his/her belonging to any of the teams. Such criteria are very easy to define. We simply should talk about people who are not able to prove legitimacy of their property” – said Zurab Zhvania during a press conference. “I had unanimous support from the Majority members. Therefore I was confident that I had to make this step. I wrote the letter after discussing these issues with President and General Council of the ruling party”.

After the closed meeting of the Majority Council, Member of the Parliament David Tkeshelashvili stated, that both the Speaker and Parliamentary Majority have exhausted all means of relations with the President expect the public addressing. “Rejection of the issue of Cabinet of the Ministers had increased the tensions,” said Tkeshelashvili. “It must be said, that rejection has not happen only by the Opposition. First of all there was an active and direct effort of the Government”.

Faction “21st Century” Plans Street Actions

Parliamentary Faction “21st century” launches new movement and plans to organize street actions. On August 30th press conference Faction member Elizbar Javelidze called upon citizens to go to the street with manifestations in order to force the Government to change newly adopted Election Code and the Law on Local Self Governance. Javelidze said, that communist planstreet actions as well, but they aim to coup d’etat. 

“Traditionalists” Suggest Postponement of the Elections.

Faction ‘Traditionalist” suggested postponement of the Local Self Governance Elections, scheduled for November 4th. Statement of the Chairman of the Faction Akaki Asatiani suggests postponement of the elections for April 2002, e.g. to a final deadline, set by the Council of Europe. Asatiani urges adoption of the law on administrative division of the country before the elections.

Opposition Version: Government Planned Chechen Invasion to Adjaria

On August 29th press conference, leader of the Parliamentary Minority Jemal Gogitidze stated, that last week’s events in Kodori valley, where according to information Chechen guerillas have been spotted, was a pre-election trick of the “Citizens’ Union”. “We have been encountering such events before the elections in the past as well. As you remember, Government impaired situation in western Georgia before 1998 self-governance elections,” said Gogitidze. He thinks, that the Government would not refrain from even military actions to keep the power. Gogitidze presents a version, that in 1998 Defense Ministry has elaborated a plan of Chechen invasion into Asjaria, which has been agreed with authorities of the Chechen republic Ichkeria in 1999.

It has been also said at the press conference, that according to Adjarian sources of information, Chechen guerillas, spotted in Kodori valley were planning to enter Adjaria along the seashore.