MP: talk about “democratic backsliding” in Georgia “deliberate hostility” to country
In his criticism of claims of “democratic backsliding” in Georgia by the European People's Party, Subari recalled the practice of torture the inmates during the UNM Government. Photo: Parliament of Georgia
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Sozar Subari, a member of People’s Power, a public movement composed of the former ruling Georgian Dream party MPs who exited the team in June, on Thursday said “all those” who wanted to “revive” the opposition United National Movement party and “bring it to power” had “realised” it was “impossible” to do so and “now switched to open struggle”.
In his criticism of claims of “democratic backsliding” in Georgia by the European People's Party, Subari recalled the practice of torture the inmates during the UNM Government.
“I was listening to Mamuka Mdinaradze [the ruling Georgian Dream party Executive Secretary], he was talking about what was happening in the prisons, and I remembered all the prisoners I had seen there, brutally tortured”, he said.
I remembered those dead prisoners, some of whom died because they were tortured and some because they weren’t provided medical treatment”, Subari, who during the previous Government held the post of the Public Defender, added.
The MP also claimed “deliberate” use of the term “democratic backsliding” was a “policy” aimed at discrediting the Georgian Government.
“Today, far fewer cases from Georgia go to the European Court of Human Rights than from a vast majority of European countries. Today, fewer people die in prisons in Georgia than in a vast majority of European countries. For example, half as much as in the United States. Nobody can say anything [negative] about the Georgian elections today”, he continued.
On this backdrop, talking about a democratic backsliding is simply a shame and a deliberate hostility to this country. This has a specific purpose, and this purpose is to bring one's own agents to power in Georgia. All those who wanted to revive the opposition United National Movement party and bring it to power have realised that it is impossible to do so, and now switched to open struggle”, Subari said.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Sunday said “all the crimes committed” by the United National Movement opposition party during their time in power were “secondary” to the European People's Party.
The statement by the European People's Party on Georgia shows the agenda of the United National Movement opposition party and a part of the opposition “absolutely diverges” from the interests of the country, Shalva Papuashvili, the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, said on Wednesday.
The United National Movement opposition party and its Western lobbyists, specifically the European People's Party, are "trying their best" to prevent Georgia from obtaining the European Union membership candidate status, Thea Tsulukiani, the Georgian Vice Prime Minister and Culture Minister, said on Wednesday.
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on Friday welcomed the “continuous and marked progress” made by Georgia in honouring its Council of Europe membership obligations and commitments since 2014, but added a number of shortcomings and concerns remained.
People's Power, a public movement established by former MPs of the ruling Georgian Dream party who exited the team last year, on Monday said the domestic bill on transparency of foreign influence had become a “target of unjustified criticism”, and called comparisons with laws in the United States and Russia “categorically unacceptable”.
Mamuka Mdinaradze, the Executive Secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday said the ruling team would support the domestic bill on transparency of foreign influence proposed by People's Power, a public movement established by former MPs of the party.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Tuesday said the domestic bill on transparency of foreign influence, proposed by People's Power, a public movement established by former members of the party, was in “full accordance” with human rights standards “unlike its American and Russian analogues”.
Mamuka Mdinaradze, the Executive Secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Tuesday said “national interests” “came first” in the Government’s decisions on policy, adding the ruling team “should only serve the interests of Georgia”.