Georgian Dream Continues its Attacks on Opposition - UNM

Tbilisi. Georgian authorities continue 'attacks'
on the local government bodies and the former ruling party - the United
National Movement (UNM) - said Giorgi (Goka) Gabashvili, an individual leader
of the United National Movement.

Earlier this day, there came media reports
about the arrest of 30 employees of Tbilisi Mayor's Office and district
administrations, who are the representatives of the pro-presidential United
National Movement. Later, the Finance Ministry's Investigation Service
explained that the aforesaid individuals had been summoned for interrogation as
witnesses in the case of embezzlement and misappropriation of the Mayor's Office
budget funds. According to the Investigation Service, the aforesaid individuals
left the building after interrogation.

"It was a direct 'attack' on the
oppositional political force. What we see is the continuation of what we have
heard for many days - the government should not have any opposition, the
opposition shall be destroyed, it should leave the political arena. This is a
very alarming and negative signal to Georgia," Gabashvili said.

In his opinion, 'it is 'very indicial'
that the UNM members' arrests coincided with the official visit of NATO
Secretary General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, to Georgia.

"This, of course, bears the signs of
political provocation and it is necessary to find out, what we are dealing
with; why it is expedient to conduct such an absolutely senseless, illegal,
terrible and inadmissible, wide-scale operation," Gabashvili stated.

In this regard, the UNM believes that
everyone, who was aware of, planned or executed the aforesaid 'operation' and
'temporarily, even for several hours, illegally deprived those individuals of
their freedom, shall be made liable. This shall also apply to the high-rank
officials.