Civil.ge
President Saakashvili stated that when anti-governmental protest demonstrations were raided on November 7 three years ago and TV-Company “Imedi” was closed down “every action of the government was correct; “However, things could have been done nicer.”
Mikheil Saakashvili spoke about the events of November 7, 2007 and the role of the late businessman Badri Patarkatsishvili in the demonstration during his speech at the Free University, which was founded by Kakha Bendukidze (former minister of economic development of Georgia).
“Several years ago, on November 7, on the anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution, a very dangerous criminal Badri Patarkatsishvili decided to start a revolution in Georgia; more precisely counter-revolution,” stated Saakashvili, “He was preparing public opinion for it during several months in advance… he met two FSB generals in Minsk; I definitely know it, and in September of 2007 they fixed date to start revolution; they paid him double price for his newspaper “Komersant” under one condition – you are taking this money and you should spend it on the coup in Georgia.”
However, the president said that the Georgia passed the democracy test because the government was stubborn enough and their law enforcement institutions “acted very effectively and our population was wise enough in those days.”
“Nobody would have considered Georgia to be a democratic country if we had dispersed those meetings and then declare “Now, everybody should keep silence; the TV-stations are closed down for ever (you know the TV-Imedi suspended broadcasting for some time) and nobody will allow you to speak up; no elections will be held and now I govern it because I do not trust you; you are too stubborn people,” somebody could have similar reaction,” said Saakashvili.
“It was democracy test when we closed the TV-Company run by this state criminal after dispersing the rally; we did not allow him to finish the coup which he described in his long interview with Erekle Kodua later. I, after all these, resigned and allowed our people to participate in the elections again.”
“This is the democracy test, responsibility for what should be done,” he continued, “and today, I am absolutely sure that all our actions were correct – though things could have been done better – everything was correct because if Patarakatsishvili had come to the government, I cannot believe that he would have supported pluralism of the opinion.”
The president said there is democracy and pluralism – “of at least expression” in Georgia.
“Just pay attention, those who cry for democracy most loudly today, use the most foal language and are intolerant towards others’ opinion… which TV-Channels lead propaganda “he is not Georgian; he is a foreigner…” democracy cannot be established and a new state cannot be built based on hatred. And retain from this hatred is one of the principle goals and responsibilities of the democracy,” said Saakashvili.
Saakashvili Speaks on ‘Cultural and Political’ Power of TV
Unlike other post-Soviet states, Russia no longer has its “cultural influence” over Georgia, President Saakashvili said on November 8 and in this context spoke of power of television as a tool having “significant cultural and political influence on our identity.”
“Today Russia, this retarded, feudal country – and let’s say it directly what Russia is today: economically it is Nigeria sitting on oil – this retarded country has cultural influence almost on every post-Soviet country… It actually has no such influence over Georgia anymore,” Saakashvili said while speaking at a meeting with a group of students from Free University of Tbilisi.
“Why is it so important to strengthen our televisions stations? It has significant cultural and political influence on our identity,” he continued. “We no longer watch ORT [Russia’s broadcaster now called Channel One], NTV [Gazprom-owned Russian broadcaster] or RTR [Russian broadcaster now called Rossiya-1] and thousands of other abominable things.”
“On the contrary, a Russian-language Georgian television is now being created and you will see how much audience it [Georgia’s Russian-language channel] will take from them [the Russian broadcasters], because these are the television stations [referring to the Georgian ones], which originated from democratic culture of the ancient nation with genuine identity,” Saakashvili said.
Russian television stations, which carry news, remain blocked in Georgia since the August, 2008 war after the local cable TV networks stopped carrying those channels upon an apparent government instructions. These Russian channels, however, are still available for those views, which have satellite dishes.
While mentioning the Russian-language Georgian television station, Saakashvili was apparently referring to the Georgian Public Broadcaster’s First Caucasian Channel, which was launched in January, 2010 to target Russian-speaking audience in North and South Caucasus. It, however, suspended broadcasting after Europe’s leading satellite operator, Eutelsat, denied to host the channel on its satellite.
In July, 2010 the Georgian Public Broadcaster handed over the channel’s management rights to a private firm, K1, which was co-founded by a British journalist Robert Parsons, who was approached by the Georgian government with a request to run the channel.
A one year contract worth GEL 13.9 million was signed with K1 in July under which the First Caucasian channel, which is currently in the process of rebranding, has to re-launch broadcasting no later than January 30, 2011.
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