Opposition, Authorities Spar over Kodori Operation
Developments in Kodori gorge have become yet another reason for confrontation between the authorities and opposition, as the ruling National Movement party has accused opponents of failing to show their support towards “the state in a difficult time.”
When Emzar Kvitsiani, former governor of the Georgian-administered Kodori Gorge, and his militiamen from the Monadire (Hunter) paramilitary unit announced their defiance towards the central authorities on July 22, most opposition parties condemned the move, but called on the government to refrain from using force in the sensitive gorge, which is located in breakaway Abkhazia.
On July 24, MP Davit Gamkrelidze, leader of the opposition New Rights party, stated his opposition against the launching of a special operation against the rebel militia in Kodori, calling instead for the legalization of the Monadire group through its incorporation into the Defense Ministry.
MP Zurab Tkemaladze of the Industrialist opposition party said he was against “any military actions,” although he added that “armed disobedience” was inadmissible to him.
After the launch of, as the authorities are calling it, an anti-criminal police operation in Kodori on July 25, the Republican opposition party condemned the rebel warlord, but said that the situation in the Kodori gorge was a result of “the authorities’ irrational policy.”
Shalva Natelashvili, leader of the Labor Party, accused authorities on July 26 of “staging the genocide of the Georgian population” in Kodori Gorge.
On July 26 leaders from seven opposition parties – Conservative, New Rights, Republican, Labor, Freedom, Industrialists, and People’s Forum – gathered on July 26 to discuss developments in Kodori Gorge.
The next day the leaders of these seven parties issued a joint statement under the name “About Developments in Kodori Gorge,” which says that “an adventure that took place in the Kodori gorge was an attempt to provoke Georgia’s impulsive government to launch a large-scale armed operation in a strategically important and sensitive region. Unfortunately this goal has been achieved.”
“The development in Kodori Gorge are yet another expression of an absolute crisis in the country, which is a result of the irrational policy of the Saakashvili’s administration,” the statement reads.
The statement also says that those internal or external forces represent a major danger to the country, which “plan to achieve their political goals through armed confrontation.”
“The Georgian opposition parties will spare no efforts to consolidate society to achieve a change of the Saakashvili government through peaceful means.”
While commenting on the joint statement of the seven opposition parties on July 27, Chief of President Saakashvili’s administration Giorgi Arveladze said that “they have turned back from the country’s national interests.”
Giga Bokeria, an influential parliamentarian from the ruling National Movement party, said that the opposition has failed “to put aside its political ambitions” even in a very difficult time for the country, and has used developments in Kodori Gorge for groundless accusations against the authorities.
“The authorities would have become the target of their [opposition’s] criticism no matter what tactics we chose to tackle the problem [in Kodori] with,” he said.
Unlike other opposition politicians, the leader of the Georgia’s Way opposition party and ex-Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili stated straightforwardly on July 26 that rebel warlord “Kvitsiani is a provocateur who must be appropriately punished.”
“This is a provocation… and the government is responsible to address it. This is its obligation,” Zourabichvili said.
The opposition is expected to further step up criticism of the authorities over the Kodori operation, as key figure Emzar Kvitsiani still remains at large, while a local civilian – an elderly woman – was killed in a shootout overnight on July 27.