Washington briefing: Former Georgian diplomat adds voice to early elections calls

by Emil Sanamyan

Published: Saturday December 27, 2008

Irakli Alasania. UN.

Irakli Alasania, former Georgian representative to the United Nations who resigned earlier this month, blamed the country's leader Mikheil Saakashvili for failing to avoid the war with Russia and said he is consulting with other Georgian politicians on taking the country out of crisis via early elections, Civil Georgia reported.

Mr. Alasania turned 35 on December 21 and is now eligible to run for the presidency. The former envoy made his comments at a press conference on December 24, a day after returning from New York.

The New Rights and Republican parties have said they would forge an opposition union in support of Mr. Alasania's presidential bid.

Other opposition leaders, including former Parliament speaker Nino Bourjanadze have already called for early elections. Ms. Bourjanadze's husband, former border police head Gen. Badri Bitsadze, said he expected his wife to run. Mr. Alasania said he was open to cooperation with Ms. Bourjanadze.

Mr. Saakashvili had recently ruled out early elections, suggesting they were too expensive to hold.

Born in 1973 in Batumi, Mr. Alasania was trained as a security officer and a diplomat in Tbilisi. He is a son of Soviet-era police General Mamia Alasania who was killed in 1993 during the war in Abkhazia.

Prior to becoming Georgia's UN envoy in 2006, Mr. Alasania was advisor to Mr. Saakashvili on Abkhaz conflict-resolution issues, having earlier served on the national security council, as deputy defense minister, deputy state security minister and in the foreign ministry under both Mr. Saakashvili and his predecessor President Eduard Shevardnadze.

According to news reports, Mr. Shevardnadze this week praised Mr. Alasania as "smart and educated" and "with good prospects." Since August the former Georgian leader has frequently criticized Mr. Saakashvili who forced him to resign in 2003.