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NEZAVISIMAYA GAZETA: MIKHEIL SAAKASHVILI HAS ESTABLISHED HIS OWN POLITBURO
The concealed redistribution of power is taking place in Georgia, which strengthens influence of the Defense Minister.
In Georgia the redistribution of power has taken place. Yet tacit, but the official announcement is sure to be made soon. This is what many political analysts are thinking as they have examined the recent statements made by Minister of Defense Irakli Okruashvili, recently appointed by President Mikheil Saakashvili to be in charge of Georgia’s wine-making industry and, particularly, of promoting Georgian wine in foreign markets.
But apparently, “the wine cellar” has become too tight for Okruashvili and now he’s talking about more global tasks. Particularly, while appearing on the “Imedi” (“Hope”) TV station May 1st, Okruashvili promised to resign as the Minister of Defense if the Georgian authorities didn’t see the New Year of 2007 in the city of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia). Okruashvili recommended “not to be trivial”, while considering conflict settlement in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. According to him, these issues have a lot of chances to be solved peacefully, rather than by means of military intervention. To solve them, Okruashvili hopes to get help from the outside. “In course of the current year the G8 and the NATO summits are expected to take place, as well as other meetings of international importance, so with the help of our friends, the USA being first and foremost, we will find a peaceful solution”, said the Minister.
Yet, the Minister made a remark that the army is effective and is ready to perform. “The Georgian army is bettering each day, and the present-day army is quite different from the one that existed a year ago. As of today, the contract soldiers make up about 70% of the army, and by 2009 the entire army may be switched over to the contract system”, the Minister stated optimistically. And at the end of his interview he promised to voice the decision about Georgia staying in the CIS in a week.
This very fact, i.e. why the Defense Minister would make formal political statements, has brought to thinking that concealed staff reshuffles are to be made in Tbilisi. Head of the Centre for Development and Cooperation Paata Zakareishvili said: “Okruashvili’s intention to speak about Georgia’s membership in the CIS once more proves that a kind of “politburo” exists in Tbilisi, which encompasses those close to the President, who actually rule the country regardless of the posts occupied”. The political analyst believes that the formal announcements about cabinet reshuffles may even not happen at all – for about two and a half years Saakashvili has accustomed the Georgian people to the original style of his presidency.
Yury SIMONYAN, Tbilisi
«Nezavisimaya Gazeta», May 3, 2006
Translated by Eurasian Home
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