Parliament Speaker: anyone who considers themselves friend of the Georgian people must focus on “not encouraging radical agenda”
In his remarks over the matter, Papuashvili noted “providing a stand to radical groups” in the opposition made “radicalism the norm”, a development he said “ultimately harms the Georgian people”. Photo: Parliament of Georgia
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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.
In his remarks over the matter, Papuashvili noted “providing a stand to radical groups” in the opposition made “radicalism the norm”, a development he said “ultimately harms the Georgian people”.
[D]epolarisation is mainly due to the radicalisation of the opposition. Therefore, I think that everyone who considers themselves a friend of the Georgian people should focus on not encouraging a radical agenda”, the head of the legislative body said.
Papuashvili also explained the reasons behind him not attending the international conference Glory to Ukraine - hosted in Tbilisi - by saying it had involved representatives of domestic “radical political groups” that were refusing to recognise the legitimacy of the Parliament and discussed “regime change” in the country.
This is a typical radical agenda, and giving a stand to radical groups only fuels radical groups. This is the reason why I did not participate [in the conference]. My responsibility to the Georgian people as the Speaker of the Parliament is not to encourage a radical agenda”, he concluded.
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.
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”.
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.
Elections are the only way to change the Government and any attempts to overthrow it will be “doomed to fail”, Kakha Kaladze, the Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party and Tbilisi Mayor, said on Monday in response to comments by opposition leader Nika Melia on an “urgent need for changes in the state leadership”.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Thursday said the ruling Georgian Dream party was the only domestic political force that “combines Europeanism and patriotism”.
The Georgian state security service on Monday claimed “deliberate provocation” in recent allegations by an opposition figure and a media outlet over an alleged leak of personal information of servicemember Mikheil Kamkhadze from the country’s defence ministry archives and its sale to Russia, following the release of interim results of its investigation into the case.
The Strategic Communications Service of the Government of Georgia on Thursday dismissed “false information” in media reports that said Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili had travelled to the United States with his son on a Government-funded charter flight in August.
The Strategic Communications Service of the Government of Georgia on Sunday rejected “fake reports” by a domestic, opposition-minded TV Pirveli channel that said Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili had travelled to the United States with his son on a Government-funded charter flight in August.
Revaz Javelidze, the Head of the Government Administration, on Sunday responded to reports by a domestic, opposition-minded TV Pirveli channel on Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili’s alleged trip to the United States with his son on a budget-funded charter flight in August, and called them “slanderous” and “false”.