Ruling Party Attacks Opposition Hopes for ‘Dirty Money’

Presidential contender Levan Gachechiladze?s desire to receive the financial backing of business tycoon Badri Patarkatsishvili, who is himself a candidate, has been described by the ruling National Movement Party as ?abnormal.?

A group of politicians from the nine-party opposition coalition, which backs Gachechiladze, is currently in London. They are expected to meet Patarkatsishvili.

?I make no secret of the fact that I am also negotiating with Badri Patarkatsishvili about funding; let?s see,? Gachechiladze said on December 6. He also said he would sell his Georgian Wines and Spirits shares to fund his campaign.

?This is abnormal when an opposition candidate is waiting for funding from another opposition presidential candidate,? Givi Targamadze, a senior lawmaker from the ruling party said. ?We understand that Patarkatsishvili wants to be Prime Minister in exchange for funding [Gachechiladze]; meanwhile, the opposition is telling voters that Salome Zourabichvili will get the job? This is dirty money gotten by violence, murder and robbery and Gachechiladze is planning on using it for his election campaign.?

Zourabichvili, a former foreign minister and leader of Georgia?s Way Party, was selected by the opposition bloc to be the prime minister in the event of Gachechiladze winning the presidential race.

The opposition has already rejected Targamadze’s allegation of ?a clandestine deal? with Patarkatsishvili, saying it was ?ludicrous.? ?We already have a prime ministerial nominee and nobody else is even under consideration,? Davit Zurabishvili, a lawmaker from the Republican Party, told Rustavi 2 TV on December 7.

He said that neither the opposition coalition nor Gachechiladze had received any funding from Patarkatsishvili.

?If Mr. Patarkatsishvili decides at some point to withdraw from the presidential race and decides to provide us with financial assistance, we will consider it and respond appropriately in accordance with the law; we really need funding,? Zurabishvili said.

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