No Deal after Batumi Talks
Abashidze Still Wants to Boycott Presidential Elections
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| Burjanadze, Abashidze made brief comments after talks |
“No particular agreement has been reached regarding the date of presidential and parliamentary elections, however it is important that the dialogue has been launched. I had no illusion that everything would have been solved with these talks,” Nino Burjanadze told reporters upon her arrival from Adjarian capital Batumi on December 10.
Aslan Abashidze, who denounced the current leadership, which took over the power after the November 23 bloodless revolution, as “illegitimate,” says he will boycott presidential and parliamentary elections, if the authorities refuse to postpone them until June.
Abashidze demands postponement of presidential elections for at least six months, which according to the Georgia’s Constitution should be held within the 45 days after the president’s resignation – Shevardnadze resigned on November 23.
After the talks in Batumi Burjanadze and Abashidze made short comments regarding the talks.
“There are many problems between the central regional authorities, which can not be solved immediately. We, both Mr. Abashidze and me think that it is very import that this dialogue has been launched. I am ready to further continue talks,” Nino Burjanadze told reporters after the negotiations.
“I think Mr. [Zurab] Zhvania [the State Minister] will also visit Batumi to hold talks with the Adjarian leader. If it becomes necessary I will arrive here again,” she added.
Aslan Abashidze said also said that the talks should continue. “The most important is that we understand each other. Now it is time to make our positions closer,” he added.
“The two sides have different positions regarding the particular problems. It is important that the dialogue has been launched. It would be also important to restore trust between the sides,” Abashidze said.
“If the current de facto authorities are really ready to make something positive, they should prove this at first,” Abashidze added.
This outcome was quite anticipated, as even before the talks, close allies of Abashidze were confident that the Adjarian leadership would not make any concessions. “Mr. Abashidze has nothing to compromise; it is the de facto authorities which should compromise,” Tsotne Bakuria of Revival Union party, led by Abashidze told reporters.
Observers say that Abashidze is horse-trading with the new leadership in order to secure his authoritarian power in Adjara. During Shevardnadze’s decade-long presidency in Georgia, Abashidze has succeeded to establish his unilateral rule in Adjara and after his radical political foes took over the power in Tbilisi, Abashidze is desperate to retain it.
However, Nino Burjanadze dismissed speculations over “the offstage deal-making.” “There are problems and they need to be solved,” she added.
During the presidency of Shevardnadze, Abashidze refused to transfer taxes to the central budget. To increase his power, Abashidze’s puppet parliament has amended Adjara constitution immediately after the November 2 elections, granting Abashidze the status of the supreme military commander of the autonomous republic. According to the amendments, the autonomous republic will be able to form its own military units. The legal experts say these amendments contradict Georgia’s constitution.
Ex-President Shevardnadze preferred to turn a blind eye on Adjara’s suspicious moves, in exchange of Abashidze’s political support. However, the current leadership vows it will not continue Shevardnadze’s policy towards Adjara.
“I have nothing to tradeoff with Abashidze. I am ready for compromise with him [Abashidze], but not at the expense of Georgia’s national interests,” Mikheil Saakashvili, a presidential candidate who is most likely to become the next President, told reporters on December 9.
Saakashvili says that who wants to postpone presidential elections aim at destabilization in the country. It is anticipated that Saakashvili’s statements made at his party National Movement’s assembly on December 10 would add fuel to tensions with Abashidze.
“Some people say if we do not postpone elections [as Adjarian leader Aslan Abashidze demands] Adjara will not participate in elections. I will not let anyone to blackmail me,” Saakashvili said, while addressing thousands of supporters gathered in the Sport Palace in Tbilisi.
“Adjara is and always will be part of Georgia and if Abashidze wants to go, let him go, but he will not be able to take Adjara with him. I have prepared four walls [referring to prison cell] for everyone who will try to undermine country’s stability,” Saakashvili added.
Davit Berdzenishvili of National Movement says that Abashidze will have to make concessions. He hopes “Abashidze’s feudal-style, dictatorial regime will be undermine by the protest of Adjara residents.” “And there already are signs in Batumi that people are ready to express their protest against Abashidze,” he added.
Simplified visa regime between Russia and Adjara is yet another issue, which heats up debates between Tbilisi and Batumi from December 9, when Russia announced that it is easing visa requirements with Adjara Autonomous Republic. Georgian Foreign Ministry condemned Russia’s decision, as “unilateral, which violates Georgia’s sovereignty.”
Nino Burjanadze said upon her arrival from Batumi that the issue also has been discussed during the talks with Abashidze.
“Of course I do not have anything against the easing of visa regime, but it should not imply only particular regions of Georgia. At least Russian should have informed Georgia’s central government regarding the decision in advance,” Nino Burjanadze said, however she refrained to specify what was Abashidze’s position regarding the issue.