Independent voices from the TWT Communities
The ambassador from the former Soviet republic of Georgia is tired and frustrated after only a year in Washington.
Georgia's recent parliamentary elections proved surprising to many. The ruling United National Movement Party, led by President Mikhail Saakashvili, lost its majority.
Western-oriented President Mikheil Saakashvili on Tuesday conceded defeat in parliamentary elections, acknowledging the victory of a coalition led by an eccentric billionaire he has accused of being a Russian puppet.
Western-oriented President Mikheil Saakashvili on Tuesday conceded defeat in parliamentary elections, acknowledging the victory of a coalition led by an eccentric billionaire he has accused of being a Russian puppet.
Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili and the opposition both claimed victory Monday in a parliamentary election that is crucial to determining the future direction of this former Soviet republic.
Political opponents are accusing Georgia's president of trying to "play Putin" for seeking to become prime minister because of term limits barring his candidacy in next year's election — a ploy exploited by Russia's former and current president, Vladimir Putin.
Street protests against the brutal abuse of prisoners escalated Thursday in the Georgian capital, fueling anger against the Western-allied government and possibly boosting support for the opposition before a tight parliamentary election.
The United States announced Tuesday new military assistance to Georgia and expressed solidarity with the former Soviet republic's hopes of regaining the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Tens of thousands of Georgians rallied in the capital Sunday as the ex-Soviet state's richest man launched his bid to oust President Mikheil Saakashvili's governing party at elections later this year.
Moscow's relentless criticism of U.S. Ambassador Michael McFaul reached a new height this week when the foreign minister accused him of arrogance.
The richest man in Georgia announced his intention to run for parliament in a move that threatens the political establishment, but found that his $50 million hilltop retreat offered no protection from the full-contact sport of Georgian politics.
Mr. Ivanishvili on Tuesday said his priority is maintaining its strategic relations with the West without antagonizing Russia, which has no diplomatic relations with Georgia.
"We would certainly like to have [a] strategic partner, including the United States, but we also want good relations with neighbors. Neighborhood policy is our priority," Mr. Ivanishvili said at a news conference.
