According to Georgia’s presidential candidate Levan Chachua, joining CU or initialing the EU Association Agreement is the sovereign decision of RA authorities
– On October 27, the presidential elections will be held in Georgia. Georgia’s Central Election Commission has completed the registration of presidential candidates, it is known that 23 candidates had a chance to fight for the post of the president of the country. Mr. Chachua, what does the pre-election atmosphere look like in Georgia?
– Let me start with the fact that energy transformation is awakening in Georgian society, the desire to get out of the pit they were thrown into. Will the people be allowed to come out of this ongoing political crisis, will the people have power to come out to a new orbit, these are the questions that are of interest to the Georgian public. After the parliamentary elections, the “Georgian Dream” coalition, during the tough regime of Saakashvili, has failed within a year to address the moral offenses caused to people.
Unfortunately, the “United National Movement” and the “Georgian Dream” merged in cohabitation, coexistence. The society requires a fair punishment for those causing misfortune to them, and, in return, they offer an “elective cohabitation”, which means co-operation with the former and current authorities, completely ignoring the interests of the society, at large, and other political forces.
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I would like to emphasize that not all presidential candidates have equal conditions with regard to using free airtime. Based on today’s CEC statement, free airtime it given to seven entities, which are the “Georgian Dream”, “United National Movement” and their satellite parties candidates.
– How do you feel about Bidzina Ivanishvili’s intention to leave the power, did he fulfilled his mission, and in your opinion, who will take his place, are the names of prime minister’s candidates in circulation?
– Ivanishvili fulfilled his basic and important mission, to win Saakashvili regime. As for his leaving from politics, it is his personal choice. Although I think that the decision, to put it mildly, will not benefit to preservation of stability in the management of the state. As far the candidates of the new prime minister, it is difficult to judge. Although based on the statement of Ivanishvili to leave the office, he has moved to the public sector, he changes the form of his participation in the politics, and choose a position where, as he assures, may be more effective in influencing on the government. As a result, the transition system, which is formed after the 2012 elections, will be subjected to natural and quite serious transformation not only by Bidzina Ivanishvili. It will depend on every citizen of Georgia as to what extent this process will bring us closer to the creation of a democratic and fair state.
– After Serzh Sargsyan, during his visit to Moscow, stated that Armenia is ready to join the Customs Union, opinions were voiced that it was a loss not only for Armenia, but also for Georgia. Armenia is not alone in getting ready to initial the EU Association Agreement; among regional countries, we are in the same boat with Georgia. Mr. Chachua, what developments are expected in Armenian-Georgian relations?
– I think the recent events will not affect the friendly relations between Tbilisi and Yerevan in any way. Joining the Customs Union, or initialing the EU Association Agreement is the sovereign decision of Armenia’s authorities. Now, much more unites us rather than divide, and I do not think and I am strongly against the viewpoints that Armenia’s joining the Customs Union may have a negative impact on relations with Georgia, and that our relationship will suffer from it. No. One does not bother the other.
As for the fact that Georgia can not initial the Association Agreement without Armenia, it depends on the decision of the Georgian authorities and the Georgian people, so, I can not say as to what may happen tomorrow-the day after tomorrow. Let’s wait.
– “Georgia will not be in Eurasia, Georgia will be in Europe,” recently said the President Saakashvili, presenting the difference between the directions of the Eurasian Union and that of the European. He so described the Eurasian society, pressures against minorities, prosecutions against political opponents, corruption, oligarchy, and so on. Saakashvili is sure that the policy of current government of Georgia towards the RF brings harm to Georgia. On the other hand, a positive dynamics is observed in relations between Russia and Georgia, and recently, as a result, it was announced during the meeting with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Grigory Karasin and Ivanishvili’s personal representative on Russia Zurab Abashidze. What is the level of Russian-Georgian relations, today?
– Recently, something has been changed in relations between Russia and Georgia. First of all, this is due to the fact that parliamentary elections were held in Georgia, and a new government was formed, the main objective thereof became the incompatibility with the political legacy left by the previous government. Both sides specify the issues around which they can not reach an agreement. One of these important issues is the status of Abkhazia and Ossetia.
Since the times of the USSR, the confidence that we know each other very well caused a lot of harm to us. Being in one state over a long period of time really created commonalities. But the fact how our states started developing after the collapse of the Soviet Union, this trajectory remained outside the attention of analysts. To understand each other, of course, is possible. In many ways it is contributed by the commonalities around understanding about belief and value system, and even the social order. But, there are very serious issues that divide us. To be repeated, the most important issue is Georgia’s territorial integrity. As for the Eurasian Union, the issue does not receive much attention in Georgia.
Emma GABRIELYAN
