28 September 2007, 12:10

Participant of meeting in Georgia: we came not for the sake of Okruashvili, but for the sake of justice

"I've come here not because of Okruashvili, I've come here to demand justice. Our people do not deserve the President like Saakashvili. When we voted for Saakashvili, we hoped that he would be fair. We got mistaken, now it's necessary to restore justice," Nona Ivanidze, one of the participants of the meeting has reported to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

"Irakliy Okruashvili is a patriot. I know him personally, and I know that his soul pains for Georgia. I saw this adult sitting and crying from this pain. I trust him as a worthy person, he's a Christian, I see our future president in him," Nino Metreveli said to the "Caucasian Knot."

Besides, the oppositionists read Okruashvili's message from the prison to the meeting, in which the leader of the newly-created Party "For United Georgia" has stated that he was fair with his people.

"In 2003, when we stood at the Parliament, we dreamed about another Georgia. Saakashvili has trampled down our dream. All the charges presented to me are full bosh," Okruashvili's letter runs.

Parliamentarian Levan Berdzenishvili, one of the leaders of the "Republican Party of Georgia," has also expressed his position to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent:

"Okruashvili's arrest has once again confirmed everything he had said about Saakashvili and his supporters. Now it's absolutely clear that it's all true.

During the 'revolution of roses' in Adzharia, President Saakashvili was ready to give an order to strike an air blow on Batumi (the capital of the Autonomous Republic of Adzharia). I objected to him saying that it could not be done, as this is our city, and our fellow citizens live there. Ti this he burst out laughing and answered that he just joked."

According to Levan Gachechiladze (earlier - the leader of the oppositional political movement "New Right-Wingers"), "the people are in power who in fact never lived in Georgia, and they don't understand our culture and traditions. Therefore, they are easy in destroying what was created by centuries, not by them. And the parliamentary majority is all slaves, who have no opinion of their own."

The several thousand strong protest action launched by the opposition parties at two p.m. at the building of the Parliament of Georgia in Tbilisi, is over.

Several clashes were registered between the police and participants of the action and even with a churchman. People blocked the traffic in the Rustaveli Avenue, therefore, the police have detained several persons, and two more have been taken to the city hospital, one of them with stroke symptoms.

The opposition is going to continue the meetings until resignation of President of Georgia Mikhail Saakashvili. However, the authorities of Georgia have announced that they would apply force should the opposition try to violently overthrow the present power.

Author: Edita Badasian, CK correspondent

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