Translated material
Badri piggy bank
The main Georgian oligarch begins to finance the opposition
The Georgian authorities and the opposition fought hand-to-hand . The first round took place last Sunday in Zugdidi, and the second is scheduled for next Friday in Tbilisi. The parties will prepare for it more thoroughly. The former received a new sports uniform, the latter received a financial incentive.On Tuesday, Mikheil Saakashvili honored the judokas who recently won the European team championship in Minsk at the State Chancellery. The athletes presented the president with a kimono with his name on the back. He was moved and promised the athletes all kinds of government support - including financial - for the Olympics in Beijing.
Promises of financial support were addressed not so much to the athletes as to businessman Badri Patarkatsishvili. The authorities suspect him of anti-government activities, and in October he was forced to leave his post as president of the National Olympic Committee early . For three years in this position, Patarkatsishvili, through his foundation, allocated $5.5 million for Olympic needs and was going to allocate another $1.2 million. Now the saved money will most likely go to political needs.
On Sunday evening, several opposition politicians were severely beaten in Zugdidi in the west of the country, including MPs who had been encouraging the population to take part in a large-scale protest in Tbilisi on November 2. At it, the united opposition (ten parties and movements) will demand the abolition of the presidential institution and holding parliamentary elections next spring. According to recent amendments to the constitution, these elections are scheduled for the end of 2008, together with the presidential ones. According to opposition representatives, they were beaten by groups from the ruling United National Movement with complete inaction from the police.
Footage of the abuse of deputies was shown on the Imedi TV channel owned by Patarkatsishvili. Following this, a statement by the oligarch was made public, saying that the “insignificant financial resources of the opposition” could cause the processes to begin “to develop according to the worst scenario.” Therefore, he decided to provide financial assistance to the opposition.
In early October, after the scandal surrounding the former ally of the President Irakli Okruashvili, Patarkatsishvili did not rule out his appearance in active politics. Authorities say the businessman has now “come out of the shadows.” Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli promised to “defeat Patarkatsishvili in politics.” “Only the opposition managed to buy Patarkatsishvili, but he will not be able to organize a putsch,” said Tbilisi Mayor Georgiy Ugulava. The ideologist of the ruling party, deputy Giorgi Bokeria, called the opposition “dolls in the hands of Badri.”
Before Patarkatsishvili had time to offer help, the leader of the New Rights, deputy David Gamkrelidze, flew to London for a consultation (the businessman is outside Georgia on a business trip and will return to Tbilisi the other day). He said that “Patarkatsishvili’s money is legal,” and the businessman himself “can play a serious role in the development of processes in Georgia, directing them in a constitutional direction.”
Other opposition representatives are also ready to accept help. The leader of the parliamentary faction of “industrialists” Zurab Tkemaladze said that “there will be no harm from such financing.” The leader of the Freedom movement, the son of the former President of Georgia, Konstantin Gamsakhurdia, proposed establishing a “piggy bank” for those who are going to support the opposition. “This is help for the entire Georgian people in the fight against the terrorist Saakashvili and his “nationals” - terrorists,” said former Minister of State for Conflict Resolution Georgiy Khaindrava.
Last night Mikheil Saakashvili discussed Badri Patarkatsishvili's statement with his supporters from among the deputies. To discredit the businessman’s intentions, the leader of the pro-presidential majority, Maya Nadiradze, said that information about Mr. Patarkatsishvili’s plans “delighted Russian politicians and Sergei Bagapsh (president of the unrecognized Republic of Abkhazia - Ed. ).”
The situation in Georgia before the November rally is becoming explosive. In an interview with Vremya Novostei, Georgian political scientist Ramaz Sakvarelidze said that “the situation in the country is getting out of control, the presidential institution has not justified itself,” and advised the authorities to agree to early elections. Representatives of the opposition are sent to Washington, Paris, Brussels and other world capitals, where they talk about their concerns.
Republican deputy Levan Berdzenishvili (this party sent its representatives to the USA) did not rule out that Washington would send one of the former secretaries of state - James Baker or Colin Powell - to Tbilisi. In the summer of 2003, a few months before the November Rose Revolution, Baker came to warn then-President Eduard Shevardnadze about the need to follow democratic principles. He did not heed the advice - and as a result, popular protests on Rustaveli Avenue led to his early resignation.