Opposition Comments on Burjanadze’s Statement

Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze’s criticism of the executive authorities, opposition politicians have said, has merely demonstrated her waning political influence.

Burjanadze publicly spoke out on September 4 against what she called being ignored prior to the cabinet reshuffle.

“She has tolerated many times in the past both personal and institutional humiliation by the Executive, both by the prime minister and the president. So she shouldn’t have been surprised when she was sidelined during the discussions on the cabinet reshuffle,” Davit Usupashvili, the leader of the opposition Republican Party, told Rustavi 2 TV.

“Burjanadze’s statement is very important, but it is over due,” MP Manana Nachkebia of the opposition New Rights party said.

“I guess she has even failed to talk about the cabinet reshuffle personally with the president and it was really humiliating for her,” an independent opposition lawmaker, Davit Zurabishvili, said. “She could have made this statement on Sunday when Parliament discussed the issue for the first time. But she said nothing then. So it seems that something has happened since Sunday.”

MP Zviad Dzidziguri of the opposition Conservative Party said that Burjanadze’s statement made it clear that “there is no unity in the ruling majority; this is not a single, united team.”

Burjanadze said she disapproved in particular, of the nomination of the ex-finance minister, Lexo Alexishvili, as the president of the National Bank of Georgia (NBG).

After her comments, she privately spoke to Alexishvili. No details were released to the press.

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