Saakashvili Cautious over Abashidze

Saakashvili: situation in Adjara should be defused gradually.

President Saakashvili urged ministers at the government’s session on April 16 for “cautions” regarding the Adjara crisis. Meanwhile, the Central Election Commission (CEC) announced that Sunday’s repeat elections in Adjara’s two districts are canceled, after the local authorities prevented election officials from Tbilisi to carry out preparations for the polls.

Talking at the government session, broadcasted on live on Georgian television, 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 said that the situation in Adjara should be defused “gradually, step-by-step” and added that government is working over the plan of action in order to curb Adjarian leader “[Aslan] Abashidze’s illegal moves.”

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.

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 without 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.
 
The President said that the central government should react on each case of wrongdoings by the Adjarian leadership. “We should use everything against this – bringing criminal charges, cancellation of passports, notification of the international community – everything,” Saakashvili said.

However, most of these measures have already been used by the central authorities of Georgia. In March Georgian General Prosecutor brought criminal charges against several Adjarian top officials, including Adjarian Security Minister, Deputy Interior Minister and Head of Kobuleti district.

Also in March Georgian Foreign Affairs Ministry canceled diplomatic passports of high officials of the Adjara Autonomous Republic, including Adjarian leader Aslan Abashidze, Mayor of Batumi Giorgi Abashidze and Interior Minister Jemal Gogitidze 

International efforts are underway to defuse tensions. U.S. Ambassador Richard Miles held talks with Aslan Abashidze in Batumi on April 16.

“We have discussed all the general issues that are on the agenda between the central authorities and the region. The international community, including the United States, is really concerned with the situation and the last thing we want to see is any forms of violence in Georgia. I have to keep my government informed and I will stay in direct touch with Mr. Aslan,” U.S. Ambassador told reporters after the talks with Aslan Abashidze.

Influential Georgian businessmen are also actively engaged in mediating process between the central government and Adjarian leadership. Representatives of big business, who took over mediation between the country’s central authorities and Adjarian leadership, met President Saakashvili on April 16 to inform about the recent talks with Adjarian leader Aslan Abashidze.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Central Election Commission Zurab Tchiaberashvili, who was barred from entering troubled Autonomous Republic on April 14, announced on April 16, that repeat election “will not be held in Adjara.”

“Local [Adjarian] authorities prevented Central Election Commission to carry out preparations for the elections in Khulo and Kobuleti districts of Adjara,” Zurab Tchiaberashvili said on April 16. On April 2, the CEC took a controversial decision and annulled the election results in Khulo and Kobuleti election districts of Adjara, quoting massive irregularities.