Levan Gachechiladze:
In his manifesto billed "My Relations with Georgia," Gachechiladze writes that "[the] key to Sokhumi and Tskhinvali lies not in Washington or Moscow, but in Tbilisi...and within all of Georgia." Gachechiadze has promised an amnesty to all those who took part in the hostilities in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, except those who committed crimes against humanity. He has also proposed to assist civil confidence-building efforts and to implement economic integration programs.
Shalva Natelashvili:
Natelashvili is convinced that the road to Sokhumi and Tskhinvali goes through Moscow. "Saakashvili has repeatedly verbally insulted [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin and this served to push back resolution of the conflicts. We simply have to make amends with Moscow and this will automatically pave the way toward reconciliation with the Abkhaz and Ossetians," Natelashvili told EurasiaNet.
Davit Gamkrelidze:
Gamkrelidze also believes that expelling Russian peacekeepers is an essential precondition to resolving territorial disputes. He hopes to engage in direct talks with Sokhumi and Tskhinvali and promises to reasonably accommodate their interests within a so-called "Unified Georgia State." His program mentions providing unspecified incentives to the secessionist authorities.
Irina Sarishvili:
Sarishvili thinks Georgia fell prey to a struggle between the US and Russia over the global balance of power after the Soviet Union's collapse. With domestic conflicts unresolved, "Georgian soldiers become canon fodder in someone else's war," Sarishvili says. In her opinion, a balanced and neutral foreign policy combined with fair and consistent ethnic minority policy would lead to the resolution of territorial disputes.
Mikheil Saakashvili:
Echoing back to the former president's long-term policy, Saakashvili's team says that it will try to replace Russian peacekeepers in Abkhazia and South Ossetia with a multinational force. "Today Russia cannot play a role of objective and neutral mediator...as many of its citizens reside in the breakaway regions," campaign spokesperson Davit Bakradze, Georgia's State Minister for Conflict Resolution, told EurasiaNet. Also, Saakashvili's government will seek a downgrade from the peacekeeping arrangement to an international policing framework.
