Georgia: authorities and opposition treat differently Saakashvili's meeting with Gachechiladze

The meeting of President of Georgia Mikhail Saakashvili with Levan Gachechiladze, one of leaders of the opposition, was differently assessed by the authorities and the opposition.

We remind you that on June 9 Mikhail Saakashvili and Levan Gachechiladze had a meeting under the initiative of the President in his residence in Shavnabada.

Salome Zurabishvili, leader of the Party "Way of Georgia", has stated that she was against such meeting with Saakashvili. "He should be met in the daytime, with video cameras and a group of oppositional leaders, since usually after such meetings and dialogues Saakashvili always tries to tell another lie," said Ms Zurabishvili.

The Chairman of the Conservative Party Zviad Dzidziguri has noted that the meeting with Saakashvili was Gachechiladze's personal decision, and he is free to decide what to do. Mr Dzidziguri has added that he would not go to such meeting, as he was sure that it would give no results, and Saakashvili would use this meeting for the sake of his own PR.

David Usupashvili, leader of the Republican Party, said in his telephone conversation with the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that talks about a meeting were initiated by Saakashvili a week ago, but only after his personal call Gachechiladze decided to go to the meeting.

Guguli Magradze, leader of the Party of Women, said in her conversation with the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that, despite this almost fruitless meeting, it gave some result. For the first time the President has admitted that the country is in deadlock, and some way out is needed. He promised to release political prisoners. If he does this, it will be the first concession by Saakashvili, as Ms Magradze believes. It will mean that next rounds of meetings will take place. And, at last, this meeting has once again proved to the whole world that the opposition is always ready to hold dialogue with the authorities for the sake of solving problems.

After the meeting, Levan Gachechiladze went to the "Maestro" TV Company and told live on air about details of the conversation. He has stated that Saakashvili fails to understand or would not like to understand the real situation in the country. According to Mr Gachechiladze, the President promised to review the cases of those convicts, who are regarded to be political prisoners by human rights activists, but Saakashvili fails to see anything in the country that can force him to resign.