Saakashvili Urges Cautious, Systemic Approach to Solve Adjara Problem

Talking at the government session, broadcasted on live on Georgian television today, President Mikheil Saakashvili called upon the ministers not to allow Adjara leader Aslan Abashidze to hijack the political agenda. “It is you who has to set the political pace and the agenda in Georgia”, said Saakashvili.

He urged for restraint in taking police measures, and for systemic approach that would prioritize prosecution of the guilty officials and judicial response to the illegal moves by the Adjara authorities. He also said, the government should hold the interests of the ordinary Georgian citizens in Adjara as a top priority in devising any action.

President Saakashvili said that the country’s central authorities “will not yield to provocation” of the Adjarian Autonomy’s leadership, adding that the government is working over the plan of action in order to curb Adjarian leader “[Aslan] Abashidze’s illegal moves.”

“Abashidze has nothing to lose. In case of police operation only the common people [in Adjara] would suffer. He [Abashidze] has apartments in Paris, Vienna, London and in other cities of the world, so he will go; while common people there will suffer in case of radical steps. So we must be very careful,” Saakashvili said, while addressing the government members at the session on April 16.

He also said that criminal charges should be brought against each case of violation of human rights in Adjara. “Everybody should know that who violates human rights, beats journalist and opponents will be punished,” Saakashvili added.

“I request each minister to work over the program to assist Adjarian population. And this assistance must reach the local population with any participation of local authorities, which have stolen everything in Adjara,” the President added.

“We don’t have a perfect budgetary situation, but as the Adjarian population suffers most of all with social hardship we should assist them,” Saakashvili said.

He said that the situation in Adjara should be defused “gradually, step-by-step.”

Saakashvili’s remarks are his fist comments regarding the situation in defiant Adjarian Autonomy, after Aslan Abashidze refused to disarm his paramilitary forces on April 13 that triggered re-escalation of tensions between Tbilisi and Batumi.