Ruling party Chairman: United National Movement, satellites have “no resources” to organise “unrest and revolution”

The United National Movement opposition party and its satellites have “no resources” to organise “unrest and revolution” in Georgia, Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party, said on Monday.

Speaking at a party briefing, Kobakhidze claimed the rally that involved the opposition and citizens in Tbilisi on Sunday had shown that the topic of European Union membership candidate status was used as a “cover” by the opposition for its “narrow political goal” of “overthrowing the Government and seizing power again”.

“Yesterday, the radical opposition once again showed its true anti-state nature. In addition, yesterday, even the [previously existing] formal boundary between the United National Movement and the richest non-governmental organisations operating in Georgia was finally erased”, Kobakhidze said.

He also emphasised the UNM, with “its youth radical wing” civic movement Shame - an organiser of the demonstration - and “satellites” in Georgian NGOs would “never gain support of the people”, because there was “no truth on their side”.

Kobakhidze highlighted the ruling Georgian Dream party had last week presented to the public the Government’s “detailed plan” for the implementation of the 12 conditions established by the European Commission for granting the EU membership candidate status to Georgia later this year, adding the “radical opposition” and “related NGOs” had responded  to the plan “with destructive actions”.