The FINANCIAL — According to Civil Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, Georgia’s ex-foreign minister and leader of Georgia’s Way Party – part of the opposition coalition – said she welcomed President Saakashvili decision to restore funding of the political parties, as well as a proposal to set up anti-crisis group.
Kakha Kukava, co-leader of Conservative Party, also part of the opposition coalition, called on the authorities to cooperate with the opposition in defining the country’s foreign policy priorities.
“I welcome [decision] to restore funding for the political parties as a first step towards returning back to democracy,” Salome Zourabichvili said in a written statement issued on August 30.
She also welcomed President Saakashvili’s proposal to set up an anti-crisis council together with the opposition to oversee distribution of foreign aid coming as part of humanitarian relief efforts after the armed conflict with Russia.
She, however, also added that this measure can not be enough “for the idea of national unity.”
“Sharing political responsibility should not take place only in respect of distribution of humanitarian aid, it should also take place in other fields as well,” Zourabichvili, who is currently in France, said.
“Sometimes big tragedies also bring certain positive consequences as well and the national unity should be a response to those who are expecting Georgia’s disintegration,” she added.
In remarks posted on the Conservative Party website, Kakha Kukava criticizes the authorities for a delayed decision to annul agreements based on which the Russian peacekeeping forces are deployed in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
The Parliament passed a resolution on August 28 formally declaring Abkhazia and South Ossetia Russian-occupied territories, and calling Russian troops, occupying forces. It also instructed the government to annul all the basic treaties regulated presence of the Russian peacekeeping forces in Georgia. A day earlier PM Lado Gurgenidze signed a decree annulling these treaties.
“I believe that the authorities should learn from the past mistakes that strategic political decision should be taken based on consultations and compromise,” Kukava said. “It is only regretful that this decision [to scrap the Russian peacekeeping] was taken without consultations with the opposition and this decision seems to have more propaganda nature rather than purpose-oriented decision.”
“Anyway,” he continued, “we are ready – if the authorities wish – to participate in the process related with the defining the country’s foreign policy priorities.”
