“Radical opposition” acting against Georgia’s EU candidacy with proposals - ruling party MP
Rati Ionatamishvili, a ruling Georgian Dream party MP, on Monday slammed a part of the domestic opposition for their recent announcement on initiating a bill for Georgia’s European Union membership candidate status this month. Photo: Parliament of Georgia press office
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The “radical part” of the domestic opposition is “acting against” the Georgian Government’s plans to receive the European Union membership candidate status next year by drafting bills as part of parallel working groups that “demonstrate their anti-Western goals”, ruling Georgian Dream party MP Rati Ionatamishvili said on Monday.
Ionatamishvili was making the comment on the recent announcement of four Parliamentary groups and five independent MPs that they would present a “bill for Georgia’s EU candidacy” this month that would act as a separate legislative initiative from the Government’s work for the goal.
In his remarks, Ionatamishvili stressed the United National Movement, Lelo, Strategy Agmashebeli and the Republican Party opposition groups, along with several opposition MPs, were “trying to create artificial barriers for Georgia’s European Integration process”.
The MP suggested both the Georgian public and international community were “well-aware” of the ruling party’s “continuous efforts” for the country to meet the 12 conditions set by the European Commission to grant it the candidate status.
“The radical part of the domestic opposition has distanced itself from the legal process which was initiated by the ruling party in June to meet the EU conditions”, Ionatamishvili said.
In their statement, released early on Monday, the opposition groups and MPs said their bill, drafted “through the cooperation with the civil sector”, would ensure the fulfilment of the EU conditions while adding the current authorities were “unwilling to take steps for Georgia’s EU integration”.
The parties refused to participate in the ruling party-proposed working groups, set up in July with the task to meet the European Union conditions after the European Council granted Georgia the European perspective and several months to meet the conditions for the candidate status.
Givi Mikanadze, an MP for the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Friday said it was “difficult to talk about" national consensus when leaders of the domestic "radical opposition" were announcing rallies and "trying to radicalise the political environment" in the country.
Ruling Georgian Dream party MP Rati Ionatamishvili on Tuesday said it was “important” that the process of implementing the action plan for the 12-point conditions outlined by the European Union for granting Georgia the membership candidate status continued “proactively”.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday said the domestic opposition was “doing everything” to prevent the country from receiving the European Union membership candidate status as it believed the outcome would boost the Government’s position.
MEP Viola von Cramon on Friday said she disapproved of the plans of a part of the Georgian opposition to create parallel groups and boycott a working format proposed by the ruling Georgian Dream party for the country to fulfil the European Union's 12-point conditions and obtain the membership candidate status in December.
Kakha Kaladze, the Mayor of Tbilisi and the Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday said the talk of snap Parliamentary elections in the country - as demanded by a part of the domestic opposition - was “absurd”.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday said the “radicalisation” of a part of the domestic opposition in Georgia, not political polarisation, was the “main problem” in the country.
Ruling Georgian Dream party MP Mikheil Sarjveladze on Tuesday called the refusal of a part of the domestic opposition to participate in the GD-proposed working groups for achieving the European Union membership candidate status for the country “anomalous”.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Tuesday said anyone who considered themselves a friend of the Georgian people must focus on “not encouraging a radical agenda in the country”, in reference to a part of the domestic opposition’s stance.
Rati Ionatamishvili, an MP of the ruling Georgian Dream party and the deputy chair of the parliament’s legal affairs committee, on Wednesday said the opposition United National Movement was “constantly trying to damage” the image of the country.