Ruling party head rejects US undersecretary of state’s claims on “personal attacks” on ambassador

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.

In his comments over the matter, Kobakhidze noted members of Popular Force, a public movement created by former ruling Georgian Dream party lawmakers who exited the team in June, had addressed Degnan with critical questions, which “is not an attack”.

The term ‘attack’ was used. I don't remember a single attack on the American ambassador, except for two cases. One belonged to Nika Gvaramia [founder of Mtavari Arkhi channel] and the other to Nikanor Melia [chair of the opposition United National Movement party]. They had such statements, including offensive expressions. I do not remember any other attack”, the GD official said.

Kobakhidze stressed if members of Popular Force had attacked the ambassador and caused damage to relations between the two countries, the ruling team would have “distanced itself from such steps”.

They [Popular Force members] started by asking questions, and when the questions were not answered, their interpretation followed. Of course, this is not an attack”, he said.

“Georgia is proud of the fact that since 2012, we have had freedom of expression”, Kobakhidze noted in reference to the elections that brought he current government to office.

Freedom of expression is relevant not only within the country, but also in international relations. Naturally, no one can restrict anyone's freedom of expression”, Kobakhidze concluded in his comments.

Popular Force was established in July by three MPs who said they had left Georgian Dream after a disagreement over the approach to public relations with the rest of the team, claiming they had decided to use their new status to periodically release information on political developments in the country that would otherwise be kept within official circles.

They have since come out with controversial public statements that have included allegations of the US embassy in Georgia’s interference in the country’s judiciary, accusations of the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy being partial in domestic politics, and more.