Former ruling party MPs: European Council’s decision on Georgia’s candidate status causes “opposite effect” of depolarisation
In their statement, the former party members stressed the concept of depolarisation - outlined by the Council for granting Georgia the membership candidate status later this year - was “abstract” and alleged it was “already clear how many absurd demands” would be associated with the depolarisation process. Photo: Parliament of Georgia
Tweet 
Share
Sozar Subari, Mikheil Kavelashvili and Dimitri Khundadze, the three MPs who left the ranks of the ruling Georgian Dream party this week, on Thursday said the decision of the European Council not to grant Georgia the European Union membership candidate status outright contributed to an “opposite effect” of the objective of depolarisation of its domestic political environment, a qualification included in the body’s requirements to the country.
In their statement, the former party members stressed the concept of depolarisation - outlined by the Council for granting Georgia the membership candidate status later this year - was “abstract” and alleged it was “already clear how many absurd demands” would be associated with the depolarisation process.
If someone seriously cared about depolarisation, they [EU] would not have denied us in granting the membership candidate status. It is a fact that the decision of the European Council does not contribute to depolarisation, but rather to polarisation”, the three politicians noted.
Of course, all this was easy to guess. It would be naive to think that someone didn't figure that out. Moreover, [...] the main purpose of not granting the candidate status is to incite polarisation”, they claimed in their statement.
The MPs stressed their “desire and goal” was for Georgia to continue its “unhindered progress” towards Europe.
The [correct] answer to insults is not an attack on our Western partners, but our debt to our country and its dignity. When a European behaves in an un-European manner, they themselves damage Europe and its interests. Therefore, responding to injustice means protecting our strategic partner - Europe and the European path of Georgia”, the statement also said.
Subari, Kavelashvili and Khundadze issued their comments after issuing a joint statement earlier this week that said they had decided to set aside party affiliation in a bid to inform the public about behind-the-scenes dealings of the domestic opposition that they claimed were aimed at causing “unrest and war” in the country.
In their initial comments, they alleged there were “great forces” among the opposition that wanted a “revolution” in the country, and claimed the European Council’s decision on conditioning the EU membership candidate status for Georgia on a set of requirements was part of the domestic opposition’s “revolutionary scenario” by creating an “emotional background” in the country.
Sozar Subari, Mikheil Kavelashvili and Dimitri Khundadze, the three MPs who left the ranks of the ruling Georgian Dream party on Tuesday, issued a joint statement earlier today saying they had decided to set aside party affiliation in a bid to inform the public about behind-the-scenes dealings of the domestic opposition that they claimed were aimed at causing “unrest and war” in the country.
Mamuka Mdinaradze, the Executive Secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Tuesday announced the departure of three MPs from both the party and the parliament following their disagreement over public relations strategy with the rest of the faction.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday highlighted his Government’s “responsibility” to “fulfil all commitments” taken up by his team “to the end”, in comments that denied rumours about his imminent resignation.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Monday said the resolution on violations of media freedom and the safety of journalists in Georgia, adopted by the European Parliament on Thursday, had been initiated by the European People's Party, and called the United National Movement domestic opposition party the EPP’s “main ally”.
The 12 conditions outlined by the European Council for granting Georgia the European Union membership candidate status later this year are seen as part of the “revolutionary plan” of the “radical opposition” in the country, three MPs who left the ruling party last week to publicise “behind-the-scenes developments” of the domestic political field said in a statement on Monday.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Tuesday said the “campaign of so-called ‘deoligarchisation’”, which he claimed was organised by “internal or external political opponents”, involved a “completely unsubstantiated accusation” against former PM Bidzina Ivanishvili and was aimed at “discrediting” the current governance system in the country.
Speaker of the Georgian Parliament Shalva Papuashvili on Tuesday said allegations on the Government not being independent were “insulting” and led to “increasing polarisation” in the country’s domestic political environment.
Guram Macharashvili, a member of the Parliamentary majority, on Thursday said he was leaving the ruling Georgian Dream party and would join three MPs who exited the team last month following a disagreement over the public relations strategy with the rest of the faction.
MPs and members of city councils who have left the ruling Georgian Dream party over the past month following a disagreement over the public relations strategy with the rest of the team on Thursday declared the founding of a public movement.
Popular Force, a newly launched public movement composed of the former ruling Georgian Dream party MPs who exited the team in June, on Thursday released a statement saying the actions of Kelly Degnan, the United states Ambassador to Georgia, “reinforce people's belief that the radical agenda of the radical [domestic] opposition is coordinated by the United States Embassy”.
Gia Volski, a ruling party MP and the Vice Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, on Friday said the United States was the “strongest and the most efficient supporter” of Georgia, but added on its part, it also did not have “as loyal a partner and friend as Georgia” in the South Caucasus region.