Interview with Shota Malashkhia, member of Majorities

After Hillary Clinton left Georgia, many people thought that the US Secretary of State’s conversation about democracy and ability to give the voters informed elections wasn’t correctly understood by the authorities and actions taken by them with regard to Bidzina Ivanishvili were the result of it.  We are discussing the topic with Shota Malashkhia, Head of the Committee for Issues Connected with Restoration of Territorial Integrity:

S.M. – Our aim is to hold

democratic elections because at Chicago Summit Hillary Clinton declared that holding of democratic elections would be very important for Georgia’s integration inNATO. At the elections everybody must be able to freely express his mind. It means that bribing is inadmissible and in case this happens the persons participating in this must be held responsible. This law was passed by Georgian Parliament and it must be enforced. When the citizens of EU countries were given the right to participate in elections, Kbilashvili, a ‘Georgian Dream’ leader declared that it was more than they expected and Ivanishvili would use it by all means. Afterwards they said he wouldn’t. Such double standards are characteristic of ‘Georgian Dream’ that for sure follows Russian line. They know quite well that they have no chance to win these elections and they are only oriented at destabilization in Georgia.
Q. – When representatives of authorities invite people of different profession to table isn’t it bribing of the voters?
S.M. – Holding of such meetings by the Mayor is a usual practice and it isn’t connected with elections because he is talking with them about reforms, not about selling their motherland for a washing machine. And this isn’t the same. If representatives of authorities are forbidden to meet different layers of population it will cause paralysis of powers. Should we demand from Agriculture Minister not to go to a village, from Healthcare Minister – not to see a hospital and from Mayor of a city – not to meet citizens? 
Gigi Ugulava is meeting the citizens as the Mayor of the city but if he meets them together with a nominee and uses another resource then it will be infringement of the law.
Q. – How do banning of radio transmission in fixed rout taxis and disconnection of ‘Channel-9’ signal serve informed choice of population?
S.M. – Decision about ‘Channel-9’ was made by the regulator. As for banning of radio transmission in fixed rout taxis probably it’s a decision connected with business interest of private company.
Q. – Detention of Alexander Ronzhes , American shareholder of ‘Global TV’ in the airport once again turned into the basis for saying that the authorities are fighting with their main rival using all the means.
S.M. – A person will be detained only in case his guilt is established. Any state demands that a person show whether he is taking any sum out of the country. It isn’t a political issue and law-enforcers will give you a more accurate answer but as far as I know they had information that a ‘Global TV’ shareholder had cash and they demanded of him to expose the sum. Everything was done within the frame of legislation.