02 June 2004 02:01
Leading MP interviewed on Georgian plans in South Ossetia
The chairman of the Georgian parliament's defence and security committee, Givi Targamadze, has said that
President Mikheil Saakashvili's "programmes" for the breakaway region of South Ossetia "will
certainly be implemented". He said that, irrespective of the South Ossetian authorities' position, a railway
linking the region to the rest of the country would be reopened, Georgian pensions would be paid to local pensioners,
while farmers would be given free fertilizers. He claimed that "99 per cent of South Ossetia's
population" regarded separatist leader Eduard Kokoiti as a "bandit" and that the local opposition would
soon step up its activities. The following is an excerpt from Natia Zambakhidze's interview with Targamadze,
broadcast by Rustavi-2 TV on 2 June:
[Interviewer] We have learnt from our correspondent that no agreement has yet been signed that will make it possible
to start the restoration of the railway to Tskhinvali and help resolve several other issues. Just as some journalists,
the chairman of parliament's defence and security committee, Givi Targamadze, was today declared persona non grata
in Tskhinvali [reference to the South Ossetian authorities' refusal to allow Targamadze to attend a meeting of the
monitoring commission for the settlement of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict]. Good evening, Batono [polite form of
addressing a man in Georgian] Givi.
[Targamadze] Good evening.
[Interviewer] Do you think you were refused entry because of your role in the revolution in Ajaria?
[Targamadze] I do not know. I used to go to Tskhinvali quite freely when I worked as a journalist investigating
smuggling. There used to be almost no obstacles. Whenever we did encounter obstacles, they were fairly easy to
negotiate. Today they singled me out for some reason. I would not say that, for example [Georgian National Security
Council Secretary] Vano Merabishvili [member of the Georgian delegation at the meeting], played a lesser role in the
preparation of the revolution in Ajaria. I do not know whether or not the Ossetian side's decision was
personal.
[Interviewer] So, you are not aware of any specific reasons. As regards the authorities' policy, strategy and
tactics with respect to the region, will your committee be as active in these preparations as it was, for example, in
Ajaria?
[Targamadze] We are trying to play an active part in all processes under way in the country, everything that is
within the remit of our committee one way or another. Naturally, we are not going to take a break now, especially as we
have some experience of this kind of work and I think that it will be very useful in ensuring that all problems that
took a lot of time to resolve in the past can now be resolved more speedily.
[Interviewer] Let us take the issue of fertilizers and pensions [reference to President Mikheil Saakashvili's
promise to send fertilizers to farmers in South Ossetia and start paying pensions to local pensioners]. Fertilizers were
a major factor in Ajaria when the former authorities of the autonomous republic decided not to allow a shipment of
fertilizers into Ajaria. It appears that the de-facto authorities of South Ossetia have a similar position. They have no
plans to allow the Georgian government to deliver fertilizers or top up pensions. What is the Georgian government going
to do? Despite this rejection, will lorryloads of fertilizers be sent to Tskhinvali? Will it be possible to send
pensions?
[Targamadze] I think, or, rather, I am sure that all the programmes drawn up by the Georgian government will
certainly be implemented. As regards statements by the so-called Ossetian authorities that they have enough manure
locally, I would say that statements of that kind demonstrate that there has been a major increase in the amount of
manure within the ranks of the authorities [as heard], especially in recent days. Yet, it is not up to them to decide
this issue. The people of South Ossetia, regardless of their ethnicity, will decide whether or not they have enough
fertilizers and whether or not they need more. Depending on the level of demand, we will distribute not only fertilizers
but also other aid we have spoken about.
[Interviewer] There is another factor that should be taken into account when certain plans for the region are drawn
up. The region's leaders, together with representatives of the Abkhaz authorities, have been saying that no change
of regime similar to that in Ajaria can take place there for the simple reason that there is no local opposition there.
Are these statements true? If they are not, are you working with the local opposition?
[Targamadze] Let us be straightforward and say that it is a lie and merely a wish of the present authorities there.
There is virtually permanent activity on the part of the opposition in Ossetia. It is not been clearly visible so far
but I think it will now become increasingly apparent.
As for the present self-styled president [Eduard Kokoiti], I can say that the attitude of 99 per cent of South
Ossetia's population is absolutely unambiguous. They invariably refer to this person as a bandit who runs his own
group of bandits. That is how he came to power.
I used to say in the past that the future of Ajaria would be decided by the people of Ajaria. I now state
categorically that the future of South Ossetia will certainly be decided by the people of South Ossetia. These people,
irrespective of whether they are ethnic Georgians or Ossetians, will stand together and gain victory in this region.
[Interviewer] There is another interesting point. The new government has been freely using the phrase South Ossetia,
which was not accepted in the past. Unless you referred to it as Samachablo or a similar name, it was seen as a
recognition of the area's status.
[Targamadze] I think - I may be repeating the president's views but this is precisely what I think - that we
should get used to content taking precedence over form. In addition, we should not repeat the mistakes that have been
made. Unfortunately, many mistakes were made with respect to South Ossetia in the period when the conflict took place. I
think that we should now work to correct these mistakes, rather than make them worse. We should do our job, rather than
merely rely on phrases. We have started this job and we will complete it.
The [reopening of the] railway will be followed, as has already been said today, by medical assistance. Medical teams
will arrive there to test and treat local people. This will be followed by improvements in water and power supplies.
Pensions will be paid regardless of the displeasure of local officials. All this will happen, and I think that this is
much more important than us stubbornly maintaining that this is Samachablo, not South Ossetia. The time of empty words
is over. We should now do our job and unify the country.
[Passage omitted]
[Rustavi-2 TV] |
RUSSIA IN FACTS
