Former Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze said she had 43 questions on which she wanted answers from the authorities over the August war with Russia.
“The authorities claim that they have answers to all the questions; so, we expect them to give answers publicly within the next few days,” Burjanadze said at a press conference on October 1.
On September 12 Burjanadze said the government’s responses would largely determine her position on whether to demand early presidential or parliamentary elections.
President Saakashvili reiterated late on October 1 that questions regarding the war were natural and the authorities would provide answers, as they have previously done.
“Questions have been asked previously as well, and we have always answered them,” Saakashvili said.
“If a person fails to perform his or her duties or pushes for demands at odds with democracy, such people can not be part of the government. Recently we have seen people removed from the government, who then became angry and bitter. We should tolerate this.”
The president’s remarks came in response to a journalist’s request for him to comment on recent criticism leveled by former government insiders, namely Burjanadze; former Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli and Erosi Kitsmarishvili, a former Georgian ambassador and close confidant.
The written questions unveiled by Burjanadze on October 1 are divided into five groups: pre-war developments; the launch of military operations; the conduct of combat operations; the Georgian retreat; and the post-war situation.
Burjanadze pointedly asks “who is responsible for the political, military and economic consequences of the war?”
President Saakashvili said several times in recent weeks that he was ready to assume “full responsibility” for the events preceding the war and its aftermath.
The former parliamentary chairperson slammed the authorities for portraying the August events as a Georgian victory, saying that Georgian re-unification was less likely now than ever before. She demanded to know if the authorities were ready to acknowledge this.
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