Zakareishvili: Georgia's authorities create a picture that population grows angry with the opposition

The authorities of Georgia are intentionally creating a picture of confrontation between oppositional protesters and local residents, as was stated by Paata Zakareishvili, a Georgian political scientist specializing in conflict-settlement of conflicts and promotion of democracy.

"The incident with an Opel in the evening on April 26, when the car rammed the 'prison cages' installed by oppositionists in central Tbilisi, in Rustaveli Avenue and Freedom Square looks very much like an authorities' provocation. Now, they pursue another strategy - they want to create a picture of confrontation within the Georgian population," Mr Zakareishvili asserts.

As a result of the car crash, the cages were bent and deformed. As Leri Lafachi, chairman of the youth wing of the "Movement for United Georgia", reports, there were no people in the cages, and nobody suffered.

In his opinion, the police is now "gaining points" for future legitimate dispersal of the opposition.

At present, in the opinion of Zakareishvili, the oppositional rally is stable. Many activists of different political parties have arrived from the regions of Georgia and set up "small camps of prison cells."

"People live and eat in these camps, probably, for certain money of political parties. And although they've come from other places, they have relatives here, who communicate with them and somehow support them. Each of these cells has 3-4 beds, more or less equipped for possible normal sleep. Fortunately, it's not so cold as before," said the source of the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Giya Nodiya, Director of the International School of Caucasian Studies of Ilya Chavchavadze University, said to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that actually there are not so many people in these "cells".

The "Caucasian Knot" reports that on April 28 members of the Georgian opposition will be present at the absolution prayer, announced by Elias the Second, Catholicos-Patriarch of all Georgia. The Catholicos has called to repentance of the authorities and the opposition. The absolution prayer will be held at all operating churches of Georgia.