Georgia stages another anti-Russian provocation - lawmaker.

MOSCOW, March 14 (Itar-Tass) - Chairman of the committee on
international affairs under the State Duma lower house of the Russian
parliament Konstantin Kosachyov said the Saturday program on Georgia's
Imedi channel was another attempt to strain relations with Russia.
Kosachyov said the Russian lawmakers will take the matter to the
international community, including the Parliamentary Assembly of the
Council of Europe.
On Saturday, a Tbilisi-based television company ran "a sensational
program," in which it attempted to "forecast" the possible development of
events "in case the Opposition revolts against the Saakashvili regime."
The program cast as traitors the incumbent Opposition leaders,
including former Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli and former parliament
speaker Nino Burdzhanadze.
Prior to the telecast, the company released a notice saying the
20-minute report was just "a simulation of events," but many viewers
apparently missed the notice. The result exceeded all expectations.
Tengiz Pachkoria, an Itar-Tass correspondent in Tbilisi reported that
many people had panicked and begun to phone each other and to the
television company. Ambulances provided assistance to several people after
the telecast.
Kosachyov said the Imedi-staged provocation is not surprising, because
the channel had long been pro-presidential.
"We saw a similar development of events in the first half of 2008,
when Tbilisi was mounting tensions and creating an impression of imminent
provocations by Russia and South Ossetia," he said.
"But them, it seems something clicked or exploded in Saakashvili's
head, and he spurted forward, apparently in line with the motto "better a
horrible end than horror without end," and committed an aggression against
South Ossetia. As a result, a tremendous number of people on both sides
died," Kosachyov said in an interview to First Channel.
"Today, the scenario is the same, they're fanning hysteria and the
feeling that Russia is planning something, that South Ossetia is preparing
something and that all this should be immediately rebuffed. We should say
what we think about this primitive game, not just Russia, but also the
international community. We'll certainly be drawing the attention of the
international community to this provocation," the Russian lawmaker said.
Kosachyov, in an interview with Russia 24 Channel, said, he would
raise this issue during this meetings with his PACE colleagues shortly.
The press service of South Ossetian President Eduard Kokoity denounced
the Georgian program as "a provocation."
"Before and after August 2008, the Georgian mass media repeatedly
disseminated false information whose sole purpose was to mount tensions in
the region. The situation in South Ossetia remains clam and stable," the
press service said.
The press service of the Russian borderguard department in South
Ossetia also reported a clam situation.
But many South Ossetian residents did not immediately understand what
was happening after watching the Georgian program. They began to phone
each other.
The republic's Foreign Ministry declined to comment saying "it's just
silly, and in the spirit of Georgian provocateurs."
Georgian Opposition leaders and cultural figures on Saturday
criticized Imedi's escapade.
"Running such programs is aimed not just against Opposition leaders;
it's also psychological terror against the population. Many residents,
especially women and children felt bad, as they believed that it had
actually happened," former parliament speaker Nino Burdzhanadze said.
Co-chairman of the Conservative Party Kakha Kukava said the program
aimed "to intimidate the people."
Petre Mamradze, one of the leaders of the For Fair Georgia Party,
called the television company's actions "shameless."
A number of Opposition activists called for the resignation of the
Imedi director general and suspension of the authors of the program.
Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili was critical of the Imedi's
program.
His spokeswoman Manana Mandzhgalagze said "the president asked me to
come to Imedi to tell them that when their broadcast such programs they
should keep a permanent line on screen saying "these are not real events,
it's a dramatization."
"Of course, Georgia is going through a difficult period of
development; various provocations are possible, but Saakhashvili believes
there is no danger of such a development of events or a revolt by certain
politicians," Mandzhgalaze said.
According to Imedi's scenario, the Georgian opposition revolved after
the elections to local self-rule bodies in late May 2010. Taking advantage
of the tensions within Georgia, Russia launched a military operation,
bringing in its land troops and Air Force.
-0-myz