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Levan Gachechiladze, the main opposition candidate for president in the disputed elections of January 2008 says that the Tea Tutberidze scandal was manufactured by the regime as a way of both undermining the Patriatch's authority but also giving the opportunity to president Mikheil Saakashvili to publicly endorse the church.

Speaking to Kviris Palitra he says: "I think the video clips against the Patriarch, Tutberidze’s statements and Saakashvili’s appearance in Gelati are supposed to be the part of the planned campaign for killing two rabbits. Attack towards the Patriarch had two goals: one is to show that a part of the society laughs at church and the other one is to demonstrate that Georgian government has perfect relations with Georgian Orthodox Church. All these needed screaming cat and Tea Tutberidze perfectly performed her role in that point of view."

He urges the Georgian opposition and people to unite to force new elections as to oppose the "bread and circuses" of Saakashvili's rule:

"The theatrical resource of Saakashvili is exhausted. He vainly pays thousands of millions to American and French pr companies. Andy Garcia will play this role, take his money and leave. But who owes those millions? I presume Georgian government has ordered and initiated the film on Russia-Georgian war. Saakashvili spends his black millions. People are at the edge of poverty when Saakashvili spends black and white money to cheat them. Saakashvili supposes the opposition and the part of the society who cannot compromise with Saakashvili’s regime to be his enemies. These people need films, Andy Garcia, bread and entertainment to forget about their protests. Saakashvili is in a deadlock now. If he does not take a step towards the democracy his authorities will be ruined and be isolated from the international community."

"The opposition should find new methods for the fight against the government ... Our unity is the main fighting instrument against Saakashvili. We do not have another instrument."

Irakli Alasania says that forthcoming elections are likely to offer the best opportunity for the opposition:

"I do not have illusions about the ideal electoral environment but the little chance that we have should be used. We have the proposals and shall present them to the electoral code working group for the next week. By the way our pressure drew its results. We refused to attend the sitting of the Security Council before the government would not publish their proposals. They published their proposals in this week. Now we have consultations and the process will continue. After the final results we shall decide whether to participate or not in the elections. Why should we be hurry? We are at the stage of healthy process. We have the consultations with the government and the oppositional powers as well."

Speaking to Akhali Taoba he went on:

"We have taken the only leverage against the opposition away from the government that the opposition did not raise any proposals. Saakashvili used it with the international partners. . I think elections are the only way for successful changes in the country and I shall be against those who will choose revolutionary way. I am directly stating it! I wish to say everything concretely that I am talking about violent acts and not about a velvet revolution."

Both excerpts from InterPressNews.