Georgian MP accuses US Ambassador of using “talking points” of UNM opposition
Khundadze’s criticism comes after Degnan reacted to a statement by the movement - composed of former ruling Georgian Dream party MPs who exited the team in June - that alleged interference in Georgian institutions in the language of the Embassy’s comments on reforms. Photo: Parliament of Georgia
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Dimitri Khundadze, an independent MP and a member of the Popular Force movement, on Wednesday said it was “very sad” that the United States Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan “uses the talking points” of the opposition United National Movement party in her response to the movement’s criticism of the Embassy’s wording of a document on the country’s judiciary reform.
Khundadze’s criticism comes after Degnan reacted to a statement by the movement - composed of former ruling Georgian Dream party MPs who exited the team in June - that alleged interference in Georgian institutions in the language of the Embassy’s comments on reforms.
I think that her [Kelly Degnan] diplomatic language is absolutely beyond the standard set for everyone. She says that the questions that she avoids every day were non-arguable, and today she practically finally confirmed that she was not going to answer the questions that interest not only us, but also the public”, Khundadze said.
I think her attitude confirms the fact that she is a party [in Georgia’s domestic political process], because not only does she not speak in a diplomatic language, but she has already started using the talking points of the United National Movement”, he concluded in his comments.
Degnan on Wednesday said the allegations of the Embassy’s interference in the judicial reform were “reckless conspiracy theories” and had no basis.
The comment came after the statement by Popular Force on Tuesday said the US diplomatic office used “disrespectful and crass attitude” towards Georgian state institutions in the document, pointing to a frequent use of the term “should” - and only making “recommendations” in a few places - with regards to reform initiatives to be undertaken in Georgia’s judiciary.
United States Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan on Wednesday said allegations of the Embassy’s interference in Georgia’s domestic institutions by several Georgian MPs were “reckless conspiracy theories” and had no basis.
Irakli Kadagishvili, the Chairman of the Rules and Procedural Issues Committee of the Parliament of Georgia, on Tuesday said the ruling Georgian Dream party could not follow the “tone and style” of the statements by the MPs who had left GD following a disagreement over the public relations strategy with the rest of the faction and were criticising actions of the United States Embassy and Ambassador Kelly Degnan.
Popular Force, a recently launched public movement composed of former ruling Georgian Dream party MPs who exited the team in June, on Tuesday released a statement claiming “disrespectful and crass attitude” towards Georgian state institution in a United Sates Embassy document on the country’s judicial reform.
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”.
Mikheil Sarjveladze, the Chairman of the Committee on Human Rights of the Georgian Parliament, on Monday said the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy, a Georgian-based election watchdog, should “distance itself” from “improperly made” demands that “are not suitable for an NGO”.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Thursday rejected the statement by Bonnie Jenkins, the United States undersecretary of state, who said that the US had been “dismayed” to see recent “personal attacks” on ambassador Kelly Degnan and the embassy in Tbilisi.
The Georgian public is “entitled to know” how much aid money the United States has spent in Georgia and for what purpose, a group of former ruling Georgian Dream party lawmakers now composing the Popular Force movement said in a statement released on Monday.
Irakli Kadagishvili, the chair of the rules and procedural issues committee of the parliament of Georgia, on Monday said it would be “good” if the funding of domestic non-governmental organisations was made “more open and transparent”.