The new cabinet?s main goal should be ?to maintain constant dialogue with you,? President Saakashvili told a group of pensioners and World War II veterans on November 20.
The meeting was aired live by all major TV stations. It was the latest in a series of similar televised meetings the president has had with various professional groups since he called for early presidential polls. Earlier on November 20 he met with a group of leading Georgian sportsmen. Before that he met with businesspeople, teachers, doctors and academics and scientists.
Some pensioners complained about increased public utility charges and requested an allowance to offset increased public transport fees.
?All of your requests will be taken into consideration,? Saakashvili said. He then told Tbilisi Mayor Gigi Ugulava, sitting next to him: ?I instruct Tbilisi Municipality to immediately address this issue of public transport fees.?
?I am not here to win your hearts and minds ahead of the polls,? Saakashvili said. ?I want to apologize if we have failed to do something for you. But I promise that we will do everything to resolve all these shortcomings.?
Earlier on the same day he told a group of sportsmen that the situation in Georgia had ?calmed down and that is very, very important.? ?The principled position of many sportsmen has played an important role in defusing tension,? he added.
He also said that the development of sports infrastructure was a matter of ?personal prestige? for him.
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