April 14, 2008
Civil Georgia

Shalva Natelashvili, leader of the Labor Party, lashed out again at both the other opposition parties and President Saakashvili – streak which has turned into major part of his party’s campaign ahead of the May 21 parliamentary elections.

Speaking about Saakashvili in a political talk show, Primetime, aired by Rustavi 2 TV late on April 14, Natelashvili said: “Leaders, who dare to treat their people in a way like it happened on November 7, end like [Slobodan] Milosevic and [Nicolae] Ceausescu.”

“I want to come into power to get back independence and sovereignty to Georgia, which has been sold by Saakashvili to [Secretary General of the Council of Europe] Terry Davis, [the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Mathew] Bryza and to other [foreign] bureaucrats.”

Natelashvili also said that Saakashvili was “puppet” of the U.S. administration. “He [Saakashvili] was sitting at the feet of [U.S. President George] Bush [at a meeting in Washington in March] like a poodle,” Natelashvili added.

When speaking about other opposition parties Natelashvili said: “These are those people who yesterday were part of [ex-president Eduard] Shevardnadze’s party, either part of Saakashvili’s National Movement; they are those people who have been funded by Soros; they are slaves of the foreign colonizers, who have turned the entire country into a slave.”