Interview with Vano Merabishvili, General Secretary of UNM, former Prime Minister

‘To be in the glass building was better but even now I don’t have a bad office. It’s my third time in opposition and there is nothing unusual for me’, - said Vano Merabishvili, General Secretary of UNM, former Prime Minister.
Q. – How would you assess the last political year?
V.M. – The main thing that happened last year was that for the first time in Georgia the ruling power held democratic elections. After the elections, we handed over the constitutionally assigned authority to Bidzina Ivanishvili but in return, we got a counter reaction.
Q. – You said that ‘National Movement’ would start functioning in a different mode. What are your concrete plans?
A. – We’ll react on every illegal detention. The energy that we were planning to direct at constructive parliamentary relations will be used to fight injustice. We have to change the mode because we are forced to.
Q. – But you began ruling by arrests as well.
A. – Name a single political opponent against whom we pursued legal actions.
Q. –Davit Mirtskhulava, Merab Adeishvili, Akaki Chkhaidze, Sulkhan Molashvili.
A. – They weren’t politicians elected by people. Despite awful corruption in the police, weren’t we authorized to arrest them? But detention of any person was perceived as political persecution and repression. We said that democracy, moving forward was more important for Georgia than repressions. When I was reforming the police I didn’t expect that tenth part of the plan would be realized. Reform of education system was successful as well and in energy sphere situation improved drastically. Accusation of Khetaguri in corruption is funny. They even say that he took $1 million bribe from a Russian state company. It’s like taking bribe from Putin in person.
Q.- You joked in one of your notes that you’d visit television until you were arrested.
A. – I can only joke about such topics.
Q. – The much-spoken-about passport issued to Levan Maisuradze, did you hold it for operational reasons?
A. – What is the use of presenting operational passport in Georgia? Or at Georgian border? My identification in the countries where there is visa-free travel is high.
We aired testimonies but never shot hidden interrogation of people. Displaying of my recordings had one aim, to say - who are you, you see, we are eavesdropping even you…
Q. - But it’s a fact that you too were eavesdropping your opponents.
A.- Telephone conversation of which of our opponent did we publish?
Q. – Shalva Natelashvili, Goga Khaindrava, Levan Berdzenishvili, Nino Burjanadze…
A. – Yes, but did we eavesdrop the main political opponent?
Q. – Exactly these people were your main political opponents. A question is often asked – if ex-ministers Zurab Adeishvili, Shashkin and Zodelava were not culprits why did they leave the country?
A. – Every person makes his own decision. I have a strong psyche. I will live in Georgia till the end of my life.
Q. – Have you had any connection with them since they left the country?
A. – I have and I even know where Adeishvili is. I don’t exclude that he may return and give evidence.
Q. – Bidzina Ivanishvili made a constructive declaration saying that he would enable Saakashvili to dissolve the Parliament.
A. – This is nothing else but unconstructive declaration. Ivanishvili is looking for the reasons to justify himself as to why he could not fulfill his pre-election promises and to achieve this he most of all needs disorder in the country. People have elected him to fulfill the promises and let him do it. Ivanishvili is speaking about the corruption of Georgian authorities when in our times the budget grew by1100%.
Q. – Do you expect that ex-minister Irakli Okruashvili will give the investigation evidences against high officials of Saakashvili’s administration?
A. – Okruashvili has already said everything.
Q. – Your relations weren’t good?!
A. – They were not good for the last one year. Before that I considered him to be my closest friend. Okruashvili distanced himself from us, not vice versa.
Q. – Your team often mentions the month of April when the President has the right to dissolve the Parliament. Does the President consider this variant?
A. – The President declared that he isn’t planning to do this at this stage. If a decision is made that will be against Georgian statehood not only the President but even I will do my best that Georgia doesn’t loose sovereignty. We’ll stay in politics and sooner or later will by all means come to power. If co-habitation doesn’t work it doesn’t mean the end of the country.