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THE GEORGIAN TIMES: GEORGIA ON FIRE?
Tensions and anxiety has gripped Georgia, as the arrest of ex-Minister of Defense and political heavyweight Irakli Okruashvili, is pushing Georgia into the deepest political crisis since the Rose Revolution.
Thousands of peoples took to the streets last week to protest Okruashvili’s arrest and the demonstrations are likely to continue this week.
Okruashvili was arrested and then sentenced to two-months pre-trial detention on corruption charges on Thursday-- two days after he piled dirty blames on Mikhail Saakashvili at a press conference and then again later in a live interview with Imedi Channel.
Okruashvili claimed that president Saakashvili ordered him to assassinate the well-known Georgian businessman and owner of Imedi TV channel Badri Patarkatsishvili, but Okruashvili never agreed to do it. Additionally, he said that Saakashvili’s cousin, Nika Alasania, had control of the import of munitions for the armed forces and was getting rich off the increased military expenditures.
The former Minister of Defense spoke about the death of former Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania as well, claiming that Zurab Zhvania did not die in the flat on Saburtalo Street as reported-- he was taken there after his death.
While Okruashvili “set fire” to Tbilisi, Mikhail Saakashvili was touring the US to make his speech at the UN session. He made his first comments on Saturday stating that Okruashvili’s allegations were false. “Rule of law and giving everyone what they deserve if they violate the law – this is my style of my government, of our government… Georgia has free media. Everyone can say whatever they like but this will not affect people who have common sense,” Saakashvili said.
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Georgians have been waiting a long time for the comeback of the ex-Minister of Defense. Opposition party members have been warning that once Irakli Okruashvili reappears on the political arena, the war of smear campaigns will begin. This came true as Irakli Okruashvili appeared last week and lashed out at the president and the government. While his words were shocking, he said he had even more to tell.
Always seen as a special figure in Georgian politics before, during, and after the revolution, Irakli Okrusahvili obtained even more power and weight as he headed Georgian army. He earned the name of ‘war minister’, as he vowed to regain South Ossetia by January 2007.
With careful calculations, Okruashvili planned his return and campaign quickly after the detention of his affiliates. Okruashvili appeared and introduced serious allegations against the president just 10 hours after his party, “For the United Georgia,” presented itself. Giga Bokeria believes that in fact, Okruashvili could not bear his own responsibilities and that his move to the opposition—a well-known political ploy in Georgia- was done to assure society that he is being persecuted for his political aspirations; though in reality, he is just avoiding taking responsibility for his past crimes.
After the briefing held by Okruashvili, Bokeria and Vakhtang Balavadze announced at the National Movement office, that Orkuashvili’s position is similar to Natelashvili and Russian political scientists. Many expected that the former Minister of Defense would consider their warning messages and would not go further.
While everybody expected that the former minister would unveil a number secrets nobody was prepared for him to blame President Saakashvili for ordering murder, working to discredit the church, being a coward, inaction in regaining the lost territories, lobbying relatives, and corruption. No one could imagine that Okruashvili would claim the President made an order of assassination for Badri Patarkatsishvili and Zurab Zhvania.
Burning the Boats
Actually, Okruashvili left himself no chance to return after making these announcements. Perhaps President Saakashvili himself made his former affiliate take such radical steps. According to a source for the Georgian Times, about two weeks before the party presentation, Saakashvili attempted to detain Okruashvili, but changed his mind and recalled the patrol police keeping the office of Okruashvili under siege. Perhaps for some time, Saakashvili will regret this change of mind.
In dialogues with close affiliates, Okruashvili often said, “I am afraid not to share the fortune of Gia Karkarashvili.” Gia Karkarashvili was the Minister of Defense in the early 1990s. He survived an assassination attempt, but lost both of his legs in the car blast. After Okruashvili’s scandalous statements, Okruashvili’s fear turned out not to be baseless.
Okruashvili’s arrest brought together diverse opposition groups who are upping ante against Mikhail Saakashvili’s government. All the leading opposition forces except the New Rights joined the campaign.
According to Pikria Chikhradze, a leader of the New Rights Party, Okruashvili’s “confession” is not enough to impel opposition forces to cooperate. Moreover, this statement does not release Orkuashvili from his responsibility.
Levan Berdzenishvili, a member of the Republican Party, thinks that if more members of the National Movement move to the opposition, the situation will get better, the opposition should facilitate this process, and they will reveal the truths about Saakashvili’s government after leaving the presidential team and provide similar confessions.
“The Georgian Times”, October 1, 2007
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