Interview with expert Alexandre Tvalchrelidze

We spoke with expert Alexandre Tvalchrelidze about the old and new administrations. At present he sees nothing alarming and considers that very soon all questions will be answered.
A.T. – There is big difference between what was happening during the ’Nationals’ times and now. The difference is that today nobody is hiding divergence from people and investigation starts. I’m sure that pressure today is not forgiven. And also – during ‘Nationals’ times, torture and raping was established as a system and today, for certain, this doesn’t happen.
Q. – In the case of detained Agriculture Ministry high officials the accused Mamuka Ivaniadze declared that he was forced to give false evidence against former minister Davit Kirvalidze and that he gave evidence dictated by prosecutor Giorgi Davitashvili. Who in the new authorities may have the interest to display Kirvalidze as the main culprit?
A. – I don’t rule out that in the new administration some may have such an interest but it will be difficult for me to give the names. By the way, my friend Davit Kirvalidze behaved very correctly – he didn’t start accusing others, he simply asked to investigate his case quickly. I’m sure he is innocent; soon everything will be clarified.
Q. – It’s probably the first case in the recent history of Georgia that an official didn’t fulfill political leader’s instruction. Prosecutor Archil Kbilashvili despite Ivanishvili’s instruction in his address didn’t change the decision with regard to Lado Bedukadze who dispersed the well-known prison material…
A. – In this case I’m on Atchil Kbilashvili’s side. There is law but there is justice as well. It’s due to justice that Lado Bedukadze who exposed all the terrible truth about prison and who actually assisted ‘Georgian Dream’ to win the elections shouldn’t be punished. Thus, if I were Kbilashvili I would do exactly the same. Bravo Kbilashvili who endured Ivanishvili’s pressure and didn’t change his decision.
Q. – EU Commissioner Stefan Fule’s visit was one of the main events of the last week. He made rather optimistic declarations with regard to Georgia’s prospects at Vilnius Summit. Very interesting was his declaration according to which court reform is inevitable, nobody is above the law and consequently whoever infringes the law must by all means be kept responsible.
A. – Stefan Fule underlined that degree of democracy has sharply increased in Georgia. He didn’t doubt Georgian Government’s decisions. Bidzina Ivanishvili made a very interesting declaration that was afterwards stressed by Fule – when the Premier was asked that great part of people was unsatisfied with the elections of Council of Justice, he said he was satisfied but not with the result, but with the processes being developed democratically. Fule also noted that whoever infringed the law should be kept responsible including Merabishvili regardless the fact that he is Party’s General Secretary or was to be nominated as a candidate for Presidency. Exactly this is the difference between European Union’s position from that of the European Parliament. EU Commissioners are well aware of developments in Georgia.
Fule’s visit has confirmed that at last Europe has clarified what processes are developing in Georgia.
For us initialing of association agreement with EU is especially significant. In this regard Fule made a rather straightforward indication.
Q. – But when paying visit to Moldova Mikheil Saakashvili forecast that Georgia wouldn’t get association agreement at Vilnius Summit and generally ‘Georgia is moving from the group of excellent students to that of the poor ones’.
A. – Saakashvili may predict whatever he wants. If not tomorrow, any way we’ll get association agreement at least the day after. Soon nobody will pay any attention to Saakashvili’s declarations because he is the man of the past. Actually, I’d advise the President, instead of making prognosis to think how to avoid prison.
Q. – In this regard, the Governor of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti Tengiz Gunava’s case has aggravated. The court sentenced him to 4 years of imprisonment. Gunava himself called this political persecution.
A. – Tengiz Gunava isn’t politically persecuted. When the ‘Nationals’ speak about political persecution let them not forget that in the Council of Justice and courts there still are ‘Mishists’ (supporters of Misha).
Q. – NDA has published results of another survey. While presenting the results Luis Navaro, Director of NDA Georgian Office underlined – compared to the previous survey the number of those people who think that Georgia is developing in the right direction has decreased.
A. – I don’t trust NDA survey results since long ago. We all remember well what information was published by this organization in 2012 pre-election period. But we, Georgians are impatient people, who want everything quickly. Therefore, manifestation of frustration nine months after the parliamentary elections is not alarming.