Nominated PM meets parliamentary minority

Georgian Prime Minister-nominee, Irakli Garibashvili appeared before the United National Movement (UNM) parliamentary minority group within todays fast-track hearings on cabinet members. The meeting was followed by intense discussion.

Garibashvili was asked about the politics of revenge revealed by the detention of the 30 Tbilisi City Hall staff members.

"If you think that detaining of people because of wasting 50 million from the budget is a political decision, then you are too far from the reality, the PM-designation said.

UNM parliament member Davit Sakvarelidze asked Garibashvili what he thinks about the fact that Alexandre Tchikaidze, Interior Minister-nominee, was one of the policemen related with the May 26 rally dispersal.

"The investigation has got questions for the people who gave the order to disperse the rally, not to the policemen who obeyed the order, Garibashvili replied.

The upcoming PM also talked about his governments policy toward Russia. He said that Georgia had a proper reaction when Russia moved de facto border with Georgia. Garibashvili promised that the government will never change its policy towards this country, and they also hope Europe will always support them with that.

UNM parliament member Irma Nadirashvili blamed Garibahsvilis government for nepotism. She named Alexandre Tchikadze, Interior Minister-nominee, as a good example of this.

Goga Khachidze, former Minister of Environment, asked Garibashvili what was his biggest failure. "I had no failures at all, Garibashvili responded.

"Today, we have real democracy in Georgia. You had always been talking about it but you never built it yourself, Garibashvili told the UNM members. "You had fake democracy, the reason of which was that you all were afraid of your leader, Mikheil Saakashvili. You were afraid to criticize him because the prison was terrible. People were sodomized with brooms and batons there. You should not have accepted this reality, Garibashvili said.

At the end of the meeting, UNM member Goka Gabashvili summed up the meeting. He said that Garibashvili is the weakest PM-nominee Georgia ever had and the parliamentary minority will not give a vote of confidence for his government on Wednesday.