Georgian PM says “radical” opposition’s plans “anti-Western”, with “singular goal” of coup

The “singular goal” of the “radical part” of the Georgian opposition is to overthrow the Government and spark unrest, with the group having “no interest” in Georgia’s European intentions, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said on Friday while attending a local holiday in the mountainous Svaneti region, in the country’s north-west. 

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Referring to the United National Movement opposition party, Garibashvili suggested that while in office the UNM started key negotiations with the European Union on Association Agreement, the visa-free regime and the free trade “with a three-year-delay”. 

Their [the UNM’s] single motivation is to overthrow the government. We know this very well. However, their every attempt has failed and will be fruitless in the future as we are a strong Government. We will not allow any unrest in the country”, Garibashvili said. 

Evaluating the opposition’s moves for Georgia’s European Union membership candidate status, the PM said that they [part of the opposition] had refused to join the work for the county’s EU membership. 

The Georgian Dream ruling party has offered an absolutely transparent process in the state legislature to ensure the country’s European Union membership candidate status. However, some in the opposition [referring to the UNM, Lelo and the Strategy Agmashenebeli] have refused to join the process. They are instead trying to further deepen polarisation”, Garibashvili said. 

Speaking about the “radical opposition’s” plans for unrest, Garibashvili said that the current Government “had prevented the biggest threat to the country, which is a war”. 

We have gone through a great ordeal amid the war in Ukraine. The Georgian Government has prevented the biggest danger to the country and the Georgian people, which is a war. Thanks to the Government's reasonable and patriotic moves, we have maintained peace and stability, and despite existing regional challenges, our economy is growing”, Garibashvili stated. 

He suggested that the peaceful environment has allowed the Government to “focus on the country’s further advancement  and do everything possible to strengthen our relations with our main strategic partner - the United States”.