Russian Peacekeepers Have Played Negative Role Only – 12.10

The Resonance; The Dilis Gazeti; The Akhali Taoba

The issue of pulling CIS troops from Abkhazian conflict zone was on agenda in the Parliament yesterday. Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze took the initiative over the matter.

“The idea of pulling Russian peacekeepers from Abkhazia caused diversity of ideas in the Parliament”, the Resonance reports. One part of factions, especially the Revival and the Socialist, thought the withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers would cause escalation in Abkhazia and cause more aggression from the Russian side. The majority of parliamentary factions supported pulling of the peacekeepers. “Russian troops have played negative role only in Abkhazian conflict”, leader of the New Faction Davit Gamkrelidze told the Resonance. Head of Alliance – New Georgia Irakli Gogava considers that CIS troops did not fulfill their duties and presented border guards in reality. According to the Dilis Gazeti, 1 700 Georgians have been killed in the conflict zone since CIS peacekeepers were placed there.  

The Parliament finally passed resolution about pulling CIS troops from the conflict zone. “Most of the responsibility is laid on the President somehow. With the decree the Parliament just recommends the President to make final conclusion and discuss the issue of withdrawing CIS troops”, the Dilis Gazeti states.

The Akhali Taoba blames MPs in lacking interest towards the matter. “In spite of tough situation created in the country the majority of our legislatures is joyful and not really interested in the procedures occurring in the country”, the paper says.