Vano Chkhartishvili: there is no freedom of speech in Georgia!

The president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili regularly reports to other world about enormous successes of Georgia on a field of construction of originally democratic state. The reasons are the most different, but the main thought is one – “everything is good, the fine marchioness!” If it is necessary to decipher, there are no problems.

Saakashvili proudly declared at the meeting with the United States Secretary Hillary Clinton: “In Georgia the institutes are strengthened and it means that we place emphasis for institutional work, instead of the personality. Proceeding from future political processes, it is important to say what institutes will do. There is a process of democracy strengthening and for me the most important is a choice of the people which should be respected”.

And that somebody didn't doubt the deep respect of the power to the people, Mr. Saakashvili right added: “The authorities of Georgia have firm wish to hold a fair and free election in October”. But here one of the former colleagues interfered, nowadays living in London – he added a big spoon of tar in a barrel of democratic honey ….

The name of this person is Vano Chkhartishvili and he is well known in Georgia: he was not somebody, but the Minister of Economy. And he appeared in London not of his free will. Two years ago the former prime minister of Georgia and the party leader “For Fair Georgia” Zurab Noghaideli made sensational recognition that the criminal case was tried to be filed against him by means of Vano Chkhartishvili. Here is that Noghaideli declared: “After the termination of local elections on May 30, the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia Vano Merabishvili and the main prosecutor, the Minister of Justice of Georgia Zurab Adeishvili were going to file a suit against me, namely to frame it up by means of Chkhartishvili, in order that he gave the evidences against me”. And the Georgian mass media then reported that Vano Chkhartishvili together with a family got over from Georgia to London just because he was forced to give evidences against Noghaideli.

In London the former minister didn't sit idle – he founded the First Georgian international broadcasting company “Mzera” (“Look”). In Georgia they right remembered that earlier Chkhartishvili created Mze TV company (“Sun”) in the homeland. And the information release on “Mze” TV just also left under the name “Mzera”!

But he could develop the independent television not for long time. Here is how the businessman tells about it: “After the pressure of president Saakashvili, I have been compelled to renew “Mze” TV channel on the person offered by Saakashvili. It was impossible to show resistance as not only I, but also the members of my family, business partners and hundreds employees of business structures have appeared before the real threat”.

Chkhartishvili has decided not only to create the new, but also to return the old. He has decided to go to the law with the suit to Saakashvili. His position is quite clear and understandable: “The suit against the citizen Saakashvili is prepared, (I don't disclose the details of suit because of its confidentiality). I am convinced that the objective international court will entrust him with the financial sanctions for damage compensation and these means will be on the development of the Georgian mass-media”

But why the citizen of Georgia, living now in London should sue and create the new campaign? Perhaps, the matter is in big money? No, the reason is another and Vano Chkhartishvili has frankly told about it. He is convinced of one: “the television space is monopolized by the authorities”. The citizens of Georgia don't receive the objective information before very important October parliamentary elections. Hardly who begins to argue that the national Georgian TV-channels conduct exclusively the pro-government policy while the share of independent mass-media, such as “9th channel”, “Maestro”, “Kavkasia” is limited.

According to Vano Chkhartishvili, it is important to do the utmost in such conditions, that the citizens of Georgia had a maximum of the information about the event and could make a choice on the basis of the real facts instead of in the spirit of that song about the marchioness …

Chkhartishvili has assured that the dirty campaign which was developed against him and his adherents by those national channels won't force them to recede, as the deficiency of a freedom of speech is one of the most important problems, disturbing Georgia in the statement of real democracy.