Michael Saakashvili, a candidate for the presidential post, considered the appointment of Irakli Okruashvili as the Defense Minister of Georgia his greatest mistake during his presidency period. "My greatest mistake was Okruashvili," Saakashvili stated during an interview on the Rustavi-2 channel on 27 December. Such expressions caused ovation amongst his supporters attending at the interview. Saakashvili has never before admitted the mistakes of his policy.
Speaking about the plans on new composition of the government, Saakashvili said that serious changes would be carried out in Georgia if Saakashvili will be elected the Georgian President for the next term. "I would hire with me only the professional group of state officials rather than it was in 2004, during the 'revolution of roses'. My new government would try to prevent poverty, to create new jobs and aim to decrease the jobless in the country," Saakashvili stated.
"The state building policy was my most successful work during the presidential post from 2004 to 2007. Our best success, as a government and the nation was we could build the Georgian state," he added.
In September 2007, Okruashvili blamed Saakashvili for the lobbing of interests of his family by signing relevant business-projects in Georgia. Saakashvili's former companion-in-arms caused apprehension because of an official statement by Georgian Government concerning the death of the Prime Minister Zurab Jvania. Okruashvili was detained for the several days after making such statements. Later, he was released after paying $6.5mln for the bail and he left the country and went to Germany. A serch warrant was launched against Okruashvili. The Berlin police arrested Okruashvili and wait for documents to extradite him to Georgia.
The presidential election is scheduled on 5 January 2008.