Saakashvili loses American support
As Khidasheli stated, the Georgian authorities realized that they had lost US support. The position of the United States, she said, does not depend on likes or dislikes towards any person. America is committed to supporting democratic elections in Georgia. According to Khidasheli, all of this means that Saakashvili will go on worsening relations with the United States, and this "can be costly for our country."
As proof of the loss by the Georgian government of American support for Khidasheli, he cites video and his translation of the minutes of the meeting of the committee on foreign affairs of the US Senate. At this meeting, Senator Benjamin Cardin asked questions to Richard Norland, the future American ambassador to Georgia.
According to Khidasheli, Cardin said that there are attempts in Georgia to limit the rights of those who may be elected to the presidency. Richard Norland says in response that there are grounds for alarm during the elections in 2012 and the presidential elections of 2013, and that America is receiving information about the oppression of opposition candidates, information about the role of the Control Chamber, and strong indignation in Georgia and the world community. The US embassy expressed concern both in public and in private conversations with representatives of the Georgian authorities. Norland noted that the support of the USA depends on the situation in the elections in Georgia (this also includes assessments of compliance with NATO standards).
As reportedNews“Georgia”, Khidasheli claims that at this meeting there was talk about Bidzin Ivanishvili and about the “Georgian Dream”.
Expressing the hope that the United States will continue to support the democratic processes in Georgia, Khidasheli said that it is very important that the society in Georgia has information about what they think about the situation in our country in the United States, whose support is so important for the country in the last twenty years old.
Commenting on Norland’s statement and Cardin’s statements, Khidasheli said that the US’s interest in the development of genuine democracy in Georgia is visible. Tina Khidasheli believes that the senators have made it clear that the upcoming elections will be a kind of test for Georgia, on which the US support for Georgia’s membership in NATO depends, and the continuation of the implementation of multi-million programs implemented by America in Georgia. According to Khidasheli, the senators stressed the high importance of creating equal conditions in Georgia for all candidates in elections.
Meanwhile, a scandal erupted in Georgia over the corruption of the elite in the country, which touched President Saakashvili and members of the presidential family. According to MP Jondi Bagaturia, a member of the Unity for Justice parliamentary faction, documents that reveal corruption in the actions of the Georgian government have already been handed over to representatives of international organizations and diplomats accredited to Georgia. According to the deputy, the headquarters of NATO also showed interest in these documents.
Recall that in late February, this parliamentarian made a revelation of corruption, demanding the creation of a commission to investigate. This caused a sharp reaction from Saakashvili, who rejected the accusations.
As noted by Baghaturia, from the 2004 property declaration, it is clear that Saakashvili had insignificant property: an apartment at the price of 95000 GEL, 9500 euros in Societe Generale Bank (in the name of his wife) and 3500 euros in TBC Bank in his name . But according to the declaration for 2009-2010, the property of the Georgian president has increased significantly, and the sources of welfare growth are not visible. The wife of the president received 2009 GEL as a present in 456000, then, in 2010, 644000 GEL. According to Georgian law, the president, members of the government and other high-ranking officials are prohibited from receiving gifts worth more than 1000 lari per year, and income must be declared. However, as noted by the parliamentarian, a million and one hundred thousand lari are hidden.
The anti-corruption activist added that the president is quite likely to block the issue of creating a parliamentary commission. In Georgian society, he noted, there is a significant interest in the property of the president and his family. Creating such a commission for the president would be the best chance to prove the case. But blocking a question means that he is actually a participant in corruption.
Bagaturia invited Saakashvili to the debate on live television. As the deputy stated, the Georgian president “has been walking for two weeks, shouting, and is engaged in scolding me. He fills out declarations of rallies, claims to have become rich in legal ways. If there is something left in his soul, I am ready for him and me to sit on his platform, on his Rustavi-2, live, and calmly, without any hysteria, have a debate. ”
According to the deputy, he undertakes to prove live that the president of Georgia got rich illegally - and appropriated property owned by the state.
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