Parliament Speaker: creating “gulag system” in UNM opposition’s “political philosophy”

The official of the lawmaking body was making the remark while commenting on the scheduled opposition rally next month - announced by the UNM this week - and claimed the party would “get their claws out as soon as they get even one gram of power”. Photo: Parliament of Georgia

Agenda.ge, 16 Mar 2023 - 14:57, Tbilisi,Georgia

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Thursday said “creating a gulag system and oppressing people” was the “political philosophy” of the opposition United National Movement party.

The official of the lawmaking body was making the remark while commenting on the scheduled opposition rally next month - announced by the UNM this week - and claimed the party would “get their claws out as soon as they get even one gram of power”. 

Papuashvili made comments on the former Government of the UNM, which he said had “created a system where people were oppressed either by being sent to jail or through fear”.

Even today, the fascist campaign they have launched against people, their family members, when it comes to threats and psychological violence, shows that these people have not realised anything at all”, he noted.

“They are as violent as they were [when] in power. The only difference is that they have no levers of power and cannot implement their violent ideas”, the Parliament Speaker concluded.