While commenting on Irakli Kobakhidze’s remarks on desirable presidential qualities, Burjanadze stated: “I cannot agree with Irakli Kobakhidze, as charisma and academic qualities are not contradictory. Yes, the President of Georgia should possess both qualities, alongside with courage and competence. The President should be able to work on the most important issues and be able to hold negotiations in all directions, both internally and externally to take our country out of this dead end.

While commenting on a decision by Constitutional Commission regarding the rule of indirect election of the President, Burjanadze stated: “We are losing our statehood day by day!”
“I would like to note with great regret that in no other post-Soviet we have such a shameful situation, not even mentioning developed Western states to which we compare ourselves to.”

Democratic Movement extends condolences to the British government, the people and families and close ones of the bereaved.
Manchester terror attack has shown us again how big a threat is terrorism to the civilised world. It has shown urgent necessity to reunite our efforts against one of the major challenges of the 21st Century.
It is a fact that actions by the civilised world against this plague are not sufficient. Each year, takes more and more lives of the innocent.

The leader of the United Democratic Movement, Nino Burjanadze at 18:00, on TV Channel Maestro, programme ‘Contact at 6’.
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Members of the United Democratic Movement, Gubaz Sanikidze and Dimitri Lortkipanidze at 21:50. on TV Channel Maestro, programme ‘Hot Line’.

Unification of 7 self-governing cities with municipalities and denying them the right to self-govern is categorically unacceptable to the ‘Democratic Movement’. The party is releasing a statement where it considers the aforementioned step by the ‘Georgian Dream’ as a “step backwards.

The government which decided to hide from the residents of Tbilisi following the disrupted constitutional discussion is now trying to take the process to the regions and hide it from the wider society. The government is afraid of its own people, to which, proposed constitutional amendments are unacceptable. The government received a clear protest and criticism over the one-party constitution and electoral system. If the ‘Georgian Dream’ believes that by hiding the process from the population, they will silence this wave of protest, they are mistaken.

It is no coincidence that it was our party, which vehemently put forward the issue of land ownership protection during the work of constitutional commission. It was Democratic Movement that requested the amendment of constitution and creation of extraordinary article which would prohibit the sale of Georgian land to foreigners. I am glad that today, the whole oppositional political spectrum and the great majority of society is united in active support of our initiative..

“Today, during the constitutional discussion, we observed the lustration of libertarian clan of Bidzina Ivanishvili and Giga Bokeria.” According to Lortkipanidze, ‘Democratic Movement’ has warned about the deal between Bokeria and Ivanishvili long time ago. “What we saw today was not a novelty neither for me, nor for my fellow party members. Today, however, the society saw it clearly that Ivanishvili and Bokeria have common interests. Therefore, people’s reaction was adequate. Ignoring those vital issues which should be regulated by the constitution, and making hideous amendments to the constitution will have grave consequences for the ‘Georgian Dream’.”

While commenting on disrupted constitutional discussion in Tbilisi, Gigla Baramidze stated: “Today, on constitutional discussion, we witnessed how the government fled its own people.”
According to Baramidze, absolute majority of the Georgian population is against privatisation of the Georgian land to foreign citizens as it is strategic, non-renewable and vital resource for development of our country. “Georgian land does not belong to any government. It is the property of our people and our country. Privatisation of this resource to the people without Georgian citizenship is not acceptable. ‘Georgian Dream did not listen to its own population and got the result – people did not accept the constitution, written in glass palace of Bidzina Ivanishvili.

“Today’s incident in Tbilisi State Philharmonic Hall, when the public forced our government into flighty is the responsibility of the ruling party, which throughout 9 days failed to listen to its people.”According to Akhvlediani, “’Georgian Dream’ did not listen to society, which wants to protect the Georgian land from foreign privatisation through constitution. They did not listen to people who demanded fair electoral system. They did not listen to people who believe that labour right should be respected and enforcement mechanisms should be included in amended constitution. The government told the people that their opinion did not matter, this is why they received a punch in their face from society.”