margvelashvili

President Giorgi Margvelashvili. (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian president Thursday criticized the prime minister for a statement made the same day about the leaking of abuse videos and a lawsuit to determine the ownership of a television company.

Instead of defusing the situation PM Garibashvili’s statements have made it even worse, President Margvelashvili said.

Margvelashvili called on the judge in the lawsuit about control over Rustavi 2 to avoid making a ‘hasty and rigid’ decision.

He said that ongoing processes in the country have caused an escalation in the political climate and there is a danger of violation of the constitutional order as well as possible civic confrontation.

He said he will begin consultations with political parties, NGOs and foreign diplomats in order to maintain civic stability, peace and the constitutional order.

The lawsuit about Rustavi 2 resumed Thursday morning. The judge said he may need several days to announce a ruling. Hundreds of people are gathered at the office of Rustavi 2.

Meanwhile, offices of the National Movement are being attacked in different towns and cities in Georgia after another abuse video was published yesterday on a Ukrainian web portal depicting the rape of a man in order to force him to confess.

During a government session the PM suggested that it is the National Movement who are publishing abuse videos, and that they are attempting to foment unrest in connection with the Rustavi 2 lawsuit.

He said he is surprised that people care more about how the footage was leaked rather than what was happening a few years ago.

“They must be grateful that people haven’t done the same to them as what is shown in this footage […]. It might be a harsh [thing to say], but they deserve it. They haven’t been able to appreciate our democratic attitude,” he added.

Rustavi 2 director Nika Gvaramia, who yesterday claimed he was blackmailed by a government representative and who is summoned to the Prosecutor General’s Office today to give testimony about that, responded to the president’s statement by saying that it is of ‘state importance.’

“It was the statement of a true statesman. We heard a statement from the only person left in the government who cares about the state,” he said, addressing a crowd of people gathered outside the Rustavi 2 building.

He added that he plans to go to the Prosecutor General’s Office in a few hours.

But the president was criticized by members of the government. Defense Minister Tina Khidasheli said Margvelashvili’s statement was ‘irresponsible’, and that there is no threat to the constitutional order. She said that on the contrary, it is the president’s statement which creates tension.

Vice Prime Minister Kakhi Kaladze evaluated the president’s statement as ‘direct pressure’ on the judge and demanded that he explain what he said.