Moscow is ready to maintain contacts with representatives of all
political forces in Georgia, except the president
Following the visits of the ex-speaker Nino Burdjanidze and the
ex-premier Zurab Nogaideli, other Georgian politicians are travelling
to visit Russia's capital, including the chairman of the People's
Party, Koba Davitoshvili, and the leader of the Georgian
conservatives, Zviad Dzidziguri.
Although these are not really political heavyweights like Nogaideli
and Burdjanidze, it would be wrong to describe them as marginal.
Moreover, the whole point is not about opposition politicians ready
for dialogue with Moscow despite the position of the official Tbilisi
authorities, who "refuse any contact until the withdrawal of troops
from Abkhazia and South Ossetia? but the tendency itself, which is
what Boris Grizlov meant when he commented on the results of the
meeting with Zurab Nogaideli and the signing of the treaty on
cooperation between the parties: "Moscow is ready to hold negotiations
with all Georgian opposition politicians". Moscow's strategy is based
on a well-known formula: "All minus one" and it is ready to keep
contact with any representative of the Georgian political elite,
except president Saakashvili and his party.
The political past of Dzidziguri and Davitashvili is worth mentioning
in this context. They are far from being newbies. Both were among the
originators of the Georgian movement for independence. At the end of
the 1980s and beginning of the 90s, Zviad Dzidziguri was considered to
be one of the closest associates of the first Georgian president Zviad
Gamsahurdia, and fought at his side during the Georgian Civil War of
1991-1993 under the motto" For Georgia's freedom from Empire". He was
taken under arrest and spent six years in Tbilisi's prison. During the
"Rose Revolution" he contributed to Saakashvili's coming into power,
since was the leader of one of three parties which formed his
pre-election coalition. Later he shifted to opposition. After the war
broke out in August 2008, he said: "The main mistake of the Georgian
authorities is the rejection of dialogue with Russia, which was, is
and will be our neighbor."
Koba Davitashvili did not take part in the civil war, but in 1992-1993
he fought in Abkhazia, as he then said "against Russian imperialism".
He was not just Saakashvili's associate, but one of the leaders of the
united national movement; he took over the lead of the ruling party
during the parliamentary elections of 2004. Saakashvili is a godparent
to one of his five sons. But Davitashvili soon accused the president
of authoritarianism and joined the opposition.
Dzidziguri and Datitashvili were members of the union of opposition
leaders, who organized anti-government riots, demanding the
resignation of the president in 2007 and 2009.
Nevertheless, the anti-Russian past of the opposition leaders does not
create any obstacles in dialogue with Moscow, since Russia
demonstrates loyalty to those who have reconsidered their position and
put all responsibility for the catastrophe of 2008, and
Russian-Georgian relations in general, on the shoulders of
Saakashvili. Though it is doubtful that Moscow will give the red
carpet treatment to Dzidziguri and Datitashvili, as it did during the
visit of Nogaideli and Burdjanidze, who were honored by an audience
with Vladimir Putin. "Currently, we do not know with whom we will hold
meetings in Moscow?, said Davitashvili in an interview to VK. ?I would
like to meet not only members of the Duma, but also the well-known
Russian journalist Mikhael Leontyev, who has a very big influence on
Russian public opinion and stands for Russian-Georgian rapprochement.
Moreover, he calls for the interests of Abkhazia and Ossetia to be
taken into consideration during any negotiations.
Georgii Kalatozishvili, Tbilisi. Exclusive for VK
