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Reactions of MPs on Sorry Campaign

May 28, 2007

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Representatives of the Georgian legislative body give various estimations regarding the Sorry Campaign which was launched by the non-governmental organization “Human Rights Centre”. The centre has spread the appeal to Abkhaz people within the campaign. Some MPs think that the campaign was launched to gain grants or survive. The others think that it means to plead guilty.

The Georgian President made statement regarding the campaign. Although he has not mentioned the Human Rights Centre, he pointed out that we have nothing to apology for and only those people apology that is ready for everything.

What do the representatives of the legislative body think?

Giorgi Tsanava, a representative of the Parliamentary opposition: “Georgian people have nothing to apology for. However, the government should apologize because the Georgian state should not have attacked Abkhazia like that. The state had its responsibilities and it should not have reacted to the provocations of illegal armed formations in Abkhazia. The Georgian government had some other responsibilities and it was maintenance of territorial integrity. However, incorrect activities and genocide had tragic results. Consequently, present government should apologize for the past mistakes as it is the legal descendent of the previous authority. If any non-governmental organization thinks that he must apology, it can act according to its wish. I have noting against it.”

Eldar Kvernadze, a representative of the Parliament Majority: “I estimate the situation not only as a MP but as an ordinary citizen. Tolerance should be well considered and thought–over. Generally people do not realize how well they are treated and they demand to get more and more. We should not apology to them because they have to apology to us. Not only Abkhaz people but Russians and many other international organizations too, who think that they should not bother about Georgia’s problem and keep good relationship with much bigger country, Russia instead, must apology to us. My position is that we have nothing to apology for. I agree with the president’s statement. At last we have the president who cares about the Georgian dignity and he does not have to say sorry to anyone.”

Guram Vakhtangashvili, MP from the Liakhvi Gorge:  “I do not know that non-governmental organization. According to my information most NGOs are aimed to eat up the grants. They pretend to do something for conflict zones but in fact they eat up the grants. Moreover, if they intend to apology to somebody, I have a question whether they have any employee in the organization who committed horrible things in the conflict zones. They might have tortured people there. My people do not have to apology to anybody and would never do it either. If somebody has acted sadistically, s/he can do whatever s/he wants. They can go and kneel down in front of them. It is done to gain some grants. They are grant-eaters. We have nothing to apology for.”

Beso Jugeli, representative of the Parliamentary Majority, the chairman of the Fraction “Majorities”: “I agree with the President’s statement. Georgian people do not have to apology to anybody and particularly to Abkhaz people who launched genocide on Georgian people and killed ten thousands of people. Shall we apologize to them after all that? What do we have to be sorry for? Let the NGO, who launched the campaign, explain me that. It may aim to gain some grant. They are funded and in order to justify their existence, they have started that shameful campaign.”

Manana Nachkebia, parliamentary opposition: “It depends whom we are apologizing to. Personally I have apologized to my Abkhaz friends several times and I am ready to do it again. I will apologize to those ordinary people who did not take part in those military activities and think that it was a great mistake. We might really have to apologize to such people. As for those people who ran the situation, we have nothing to apologize for.”

Pavle Kublashvili, representative of the Parliamentary Majority: “I cannot see any reason to have such capitulating attitude to the problem. Just the opposite, we must think about the reasons of the conflict and speak about those people who were guilty in it. Our fault was not such a big in the conflict at all and we should think about the sources to resolve the problem. If somebody calls upon us to apologize, it is a great mistake and I am sorry they have similar attitude to the problem. I am sure that absolute majority of the population does not agree with the campaign. If anybody was guilty for the conflict, it was not Georgian side, trust me.”

Levan Berdzenishvili, representative of the parliamentary opposition: “First of all, our government should apologize to our population at least for not having prevented the war. At the most they must apologize for having unleashed the war in Abkhazia. If our government does not have anything to apologize for, it does not mean that present government is not legal descendent of the previous authority. We must apologize to Georgian and Abkhaz people, to IDPs and those who stayed there, because the war was horrible for all of us. However it does not mean that only we have to apologize. The Abkhaz also must be sorry for their cruelty during the war.”

Nino Kalandadze, representative of the Parliamentary majority: “I have to admit that I do not remember the President made any statement regarding the appeal and neither have I known if any statement was made regarding this organization. However, anyway, if this organization aims to gain grants and money and have idealist attitude to the situation, I think we must receive the apology from Abkhaz people. We are the nation who was kicked out from its territory and Abkhaz people took part in it. They have great fault in the war. This appeal insults the whole nation, the nation who believes that Abkhazia is a part of Georgia.”

Nodar Grigalashvili, representative of the Parliamentary opposition, the chairman of the Education and Science Committee: “Poor them. This question does not need any further discussion, poor them.”

Giorgi Tsagareishvili, representative of the Parliamentary opposition: “I have read the text of the appeal. It is too difficult question. During the Abkhazian conflict many mistakes were made and we witnessed everything. I well remember how military conflict started in Abkhazia, how they provoked the situation with the support of Russia. I admit that we also made mistakes. We committed many military crimes too. There are dozens of volumes of investigated case at the Georgian Prosecutor General’s office and it reveals the military crimes committed in Abkhazia and genocide of Georgian population there. We cannot get rid of these facts. I do not think we must blame ourselves. I do not advise any other nation to undergo similar tragedy our nation has to endure. I do not want our enemies to feel the same. I do not think Georgian people have to apologize. Simply we have to forget everything, nothing can obstruct reconciliation.”

Eka Gulua

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