Nino Burjanadze Comments on Recent Developments

Nino Burjanadze, the Parliamentary Chairperson and leader of the Burjanadze-Democrats election bloc, said the opposition’s protest rally “will continue until the authorities make a compromise.”

“We still demand from the President and the government to recognize opposition’s victory in the November 2 parliamentary elections. We did not meet with President Shevardnadze on November 12, because we knew he would not have compromised. As soon as we learn that the authorities have particular suggestions for us, we will meet them,” Nino Burjanadze told Civil Georgia on November 13.

The separate meeting of Mikheil Saakashvili, the key opposition leader, with State Minister Avtandil Jorbenadze late on November 11, sparked speculations that there are disagreements between the opposition leaders. However Nino Burjanadze dismissed the rumors as “groundless.”

She said that there is “no confrontation among the opposition leaders, adding that she and Zurab Zhvania [another opposition leader] knew nothing about Saakashvili’s plans to meet with Jorbenadze, however when he returned from the meeting he briefed us [Burjanadze and Zhvania] over the details of the talks.” 

Nino Burjanadze also said “it is too early to talk on Aslan Abashidze’s [Adjarian and Revival Union’s leader] possible election on the post of the Chairman of new Parliament.” The speculations broke regarding the issue after the talks between Shevardnadze and Abashidze on November 10 and Abashidze’s visits to Armenia and Azerbaijan, which were followed the talks with Shevardnadze.

“If the authorities do not recognize the opposition’s victory in the elections, we [the Burjanadze-Democrats bloc] will refuse to become the parliament members. But if the authorities recognize opposition’s victory we will be in the parliament and the issue of the new Chairperson will be solved with the majority of votes,” Nino Burjanadze told Civil Georgia.