Ruling party head: “crimes committed” by UNM “secondary” to European People’s Party
Kobakhidze was responding to a statement by the EPP on May 31, suggested by the domestic UNM opposition, which said “in recent years” the EPP had observed “with great concern” a trend of “democratic backsliding” in Georgia. Photo: Georgian Dream Press Office
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Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Sunday said “all the crimes committed” by the United National Movement opposition party during their time in power were “secondary” to the European People's Party.
Kobakhidze was responding to a statement by the EPP on May 31, suggested by the domestic UNM opposition, which said “in recent years” the EPP had observed “with great concern” a trend of “democratic backsliding” in Georgia.
They [EPP] put aside the values. All the crimes committed by the United National Movement, which were directly contrary to European values, are secondary [to them]. It can be seen from this statement [by EPP]. The main thing [for them] is to protect [their] own members, which I think is not a correct approach,” the GD official said.
Kobakhidze underlined that for the Georgian Government Europe had something to do with “values” and not some location or something else.
Therefore, the main thing on the part of our [European] partners should be adherence to these values, which we did not see in the case of the European People's Party when they made this statement [on Georgia],” he concluded.
On June 1, Shalva Papuashvili, the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, said the statement by the European People's Party on Georgia showed the agenda of the United National Movement opposition party and a part of the opposition “absolutely diverges” from the interests of the country.
In her turn, Thea Tsulukiani, the Georgian Vice Prime Minister and Culture Minister, said the United National Movement opposition party and its Western lobbyists, specifically the European People's Party, were "trying their best" to prevent Georgia from obtaining the European Union membership candidate status.
Nikoloz Samkharadze, the Georgian Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee Chair, on Friday said the country had made “significant progress” on its European integration path and expressed hope the European Union would make the “correct decision” and grant it the EU member candidate status.
The statement by the European People's Party on Georgia shows the agenda of the United National Movement opposition party and a part of the opposition “absolutely diverges” from the interests of the country, Shalva Papuashvili, the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, said on Wednesday.
The United National Movement opposition party and its Western lobbyists, specifically the European People's Party, are "trying their best" to prevent Georgia from obtaining the European Union membership candidate status, Thea Tsulukiani, the Georgian Vice Prime Minister and Culture Minister, said on Wednesday.
Maka Botchorishvili, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament’s European Union Integration Committee, on Tuesday said Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova “deserved” to become members of the European Union.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday criticised the European Parliament resolution on violations of media freedom and the safety of journalists in Georgia by saying the document was “not worth a dime”.
Sozar Subari, a member of People’s Power, a public movement composed of the former ruling Georgian Dream party MPs who exited the team in June, on Thursday said “all those” who wanted to “revive” the opposition United National Movement party and “bring it to power” had “realised” it was “impossible” to do so and “now switched to open struggle”.
Mamuka Mdinaradze, the Executive Secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday said the ruling team would support the domestic bill on transparency of foreign influence proposed by People's Power, a public movement established by former MPs of the party.