He returned to Georgia satisfied with receiving support from  the White House and State Department. This visit finally assured him that the West supports the opposition spectrum in the fight for election environment changes. Thus, he thinks that there is no time of confrontation and calls the entire opposition spectrum for conducting negotiations. He believes that the change of the power can be made only by this way.

In the West, the aim of the  visit was  not only to make election environmental changes. In the White House and State Department they once more talked about the current grave social – economic conditions of the country, about business pressure, country security  and about changes of the power in 2012-2013.

However, he’d  better  speak about all these facts himself and explain the reason of optimism that is apparently noticeable. The guest of Presa.GE  is leader of  “Our Georgia - Free Democrats” Irakli Alasania.

– That was the first official visit after local elections held in Georgia, that is why it was rather important to represent the US side the view of “Free Democrats” on election environment and Georgia’s development. Also, it was very significant for us how America views at the elections held in Georgia and generally, the future of American-Georgian strategic partnership. I dare say that I have never heard such obvious and clear position from the US side.

The view of the US side is really significant, as the studies  of NDI  and IRE give absolutely different view, than it is in reality. On what information does the White House rely on?  

– NDI and IRE researches represent another issue, but they have their own sources of gaining information and they are very well aware of real social-economic conditions of Georgia. They have information about the pressure of small, average and big business and what kind of control the tax services impose on businesses.

We have the mutual overlap on the three topics  with the members of Obama’s  administration as well as with the State Department and with both sides of Senate and Congress ( both with Republicans and Democrats), about holding really free elections in Georgia in 2012-13. During the two years, they will support the negotiations of election environment change in which we are involved. And the other point – first in Georgia change of the power must be made by means of the election. 

Can you specify what they mean in supporting?

– They back up just the process of not happening Putinization in Georgia and coming the winner political force into the authority by means of holding free elections. In these two issues there is an absolute overlap of the positions and the most main thing is that American policy is defined by the two determinable elements related with  Georgia. This is a position  that Obama’s representatives recorded while meeting with me.  

This is directly connected with the current condition of Georgia from the media and police viewpoint. Media is not free really, we had talks that changes should be made on just Public broadcasting company, that will give the opposition a chance of maximal reaching  their voices  to the society.  It means that on the channels 1 and  2 debates and discussions  should be held. Besides, coverage scales of Channel 2 must be increased.

It must be exposed once and finally  who stands behind “Rustavi2” and “Imedi”, who are their entities and who are involved in their daily management. We see it. These people are Saakashvili and his team, but it needs to be found out formally and hence, the USA is directly concerned with exposing it. 

The concern is one thing but on the other thing is a  political will of our authority. This political will was confined in 10% offshore zones by the authority. After it, do you have hopes of revealing the theme of “Rustavi 2” and “Imedi” entities?

– I have personally less illusion regarding “Rustavi 2” and “Imedi”. They will remain as entities and propagandistic machine of the authority. Though, related with Channels 1 and 2 I have hopes that gap can be made there. 

Political will is needed for it…

– Yes, but there is  your,  the society’s and my money. That is why, international partners find it easier to support this demand. It was just the  result of pressure that happened three weeks earlier  before  the election, the public broadcasting company started to speak about the lections  more objectively. The third topic is the police about which “Free Democrats” and others have been talking for a year and a half – police must serve the law and not the ruling party.   

How can you imagine the control of it?

– We have more or less successful example – some weeks earlier before the election, inter department team was set up, where representatives of MIA, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Justice of Georgia took part in and also opposition parties were involved in it, a person concerned  was also from our party as well.  In this group, the issue about each pressure and repression  fact was advanced and to tell the truth, the power representative tried and settled these issues very often. After it, punishment of those people was ceased. Though, it must not happen so only three weeks earlier before the election. We suggest it to be a   standing  team where international observers will take part in it too.  

How do you assess the meeting between Obama and Saakashvili?

– It is a good thing  that the meting was held as the direct speech was made just about the issues. I am sure the USA will continue state support for  Georgia. In this support, both American partners and we  understand one thing that a peaceful change of the power  must be made  in the country and thorough change of the election environment necessarily  must be made. This was the main discussion topic of my visit. 

In addition,  I want to refer to one detail  of our visit…. It was in New York, where we met with deputies Secretary Generals of the UN and talked about peace keeping operations and political issues. I got introduced with their views, how the UN intends to activate in Georgia and I suggested my opinions about what to do in Gali region in order to keep  our population more protected. Also, we talked generally about regional security issues and among them about prospects of relationship normalization between Russia  and Georgia.

The part of the experts considered the  meeting of Obama – Saakashvili as if America  wanted Saakashvili to make  a promise of not involving in the next provocative war with Russia and of not turning the West into awkward situation again in this way.  What you are speaking about –democracy development in Georgia- many think it   false and America does not care much about democracy development in Georgia……

– This is absolutely controversial to the reality. I repeat and say that the main task of Georgian-American strategies is not only democracy development in Georgia but its victory as well. This is proved by each step America makes towards Georgia. The USA supports the negotiation process of election environment which  is openly recorded and said by them.  So their position can not be clearer. 

What did Sarkozi’s statement mean?  – NATO door will be open until Georgian borders are not fixed. 

– Sarkozi’s statement is the reality that was known for us before now – becoming a member of NATO will remain without prospect until Georgia has territorial problems with Russian Federation. This was not heard by only one person, it was Mikheil Saakshvili who swindled his own country and own people.

Let’s speak about inner policy, first I will ask about “Public Assembly” – although, your position is known, do you think that the assembly has a lot of prospects ahead?

  –I really greatly respect all citizens, who once expressed their protest on Rustaveli Avenue. Both they and we have full reason of showing an open protest. Besides, this is our constitutional right. It is peoples’ attitude that must not be concealed by anyone in a democratic  country. Though, we all – among them our political organization and society as well - understood that recording of views  and stepping forward to political changes would not be made directly  from the street. That is why I said that it is not fair to introduce such views in the society. This is not the way one  can gain victory over  the kind of Saakashvili’s authority. The only way to beat these people is to fight on their field.  

You have always stressed that the opposition first offered the authority a specific form of the dialogue and it makes it different from other negotiations, which must become the grounds of  success. However, do you feel optimistic about the fact that parties sitting beside you at the negotiation table are with you and in the street meetings at the same time

– For me it is very important that they support those changes and my colleagues and I are given a mandate of the negotiation. In Georgia nobody can prohibit anyone  anything. Of course, I may have my own opinion about how sensible and right move was when “Forum” or “Conservative Party” joined the “Public Meeting”, but they should decide it. We agreed on  election changes that we will have 5 principal positions and will support each other. Mistrust, isolation and confrontation have already shown us undesirable results. Thus, we did not follow the former way, we made steps forward by supporting each other to make joint progress.  

Owing to these principles you are called a satellite party of the authority by the part of opposition. Doesn’t  it affect on your rating? 

– It does less. Those parties which say so, their ratings do not exist at all. Even their pulse can not be taken. 

Do you approve the authority’s pre term elections? 

– I rule out it. There is no precondition of it. Resulting from economic- social conditions of the country and those obligations undertaken by the authority regarding  international cooperation, election environment reform must be ended and for me it is the main thing. If the elections are held tomorrow, they will be held in the same non democratic way, as it was held before and relatively  the power supported by the people will not win in fact.