Doctors, not lawyers or politicians should discuss ex-Pres Saakashvili’s health - ruling party MP

Medical professionals and not politicians or lawyers should discuss the matter of health of the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili, ruling Georgian Dream party MP and former Health Minister David Sergeenko said on Friday in comments on recent statements by Saakashvili’s lawyers about the former President's plans to withdraw from politics due to poor health. 

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In remarks, Sergeenko, who also holds the post of Parlaiment’s vice-speaker, said “he was surprised by “mixing of duties", stressing that doctors should be given the opportunity to speak about the condition of the former President “without any pressure”. 

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I was always surprised when politicians were discussing Saakashvili's health,while lawyers questioned his [Saakashvili’s] presence or absence in politics. Doctors should be given the opportunity to discuss the topics which concern them without any pressure”, Segeenko said. 

Saakashvili’s lawyers said last week that the former President had plans to leave politics, claiming that the third president had serious health problems. 

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Wednesday welcomed reports of Saakashvili planning to retire from political life, saying Saakashvili’s presence in domestic politics was “unlawful” as the former President held Ukrainian citizenship and chaired the Executive Committee of the Ukrainian National Reforms Council before being arrested in the Georgian capital last year.