Shevardnadze’s Allies Fear Repressions

Members of the election bloc For New Georgia, which was led by ex-President Shevardnadze, expressed fears that the new, interim leadership might launch repressions.

“We ought to know whether they [the interim government] plan to implement repressive measures against those who supported Shevardnadze and who stayed at home and did not participate in the recent street protests,” MP Roza Lortkipanidze of the For New Georgia bloc said on November 27 at the parliamentary session.

Acting Parliamentary Chairman Gigi Tsereteli said the interim government does not intend to launch any repressions against Shevardnadze’s allies.

“We are ready to cooperate and do not intend to persecute anybody. All these fears over repressions are groundless and overestimated,” Gigi Tsereteli added. 

Pantiko Tordia, chief of the Tbilisi aircraft factory and the member of the For New Georgia bloc was attacked and beaten late on November 26 near his apartment. He said that it could be “a robbery attempt rather than political intimidation.”

Unknown persons fired a shot at the apartment of Luba Eliashvili, TV journalist and anchor at Iberia television, who is known as an opponent of the current leadership of the country.