UNM’s presence or absence in Parliament makes “no difference” - ruling party head
Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday commented on the UNM’s return to the Parliament. Photo: Georgian Dream press office
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Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday said the United National Movement opposition party’s participation in, or absence from, Parliamentary work made “no essential difference”.
The comment came following the announcement by the largest opposition group in the country earlier during the day about the end of the boycott of the legislative body.
UNM’s move ends the boycott launched by the party on February 6, in response to the court ruling that denied the imprisoned former President and party founder Mikheil Saakashvili release or postponement of his prison term on health grounds.
In remarks on the party’s return to the legislative body, Kobakhidze said UNM lacked “both intellectual and other resources” to either become involved in Parliamentary work or organise street rallies against the Government.
He also noted the party, along with several other opposition groups, had refused to join the Government’s efforts to meet the conditions outlined last year for the country’s European Union membership candidate status, while noting the process was now in the “final stage”.
The Parliament has adopted all bills related to the conditions without UNM’s engagement in the process. Now two conditions out of total 12 are left to be fulfilled, with related bills already proposed. Thus, [the party’s] presence in the body makes no essential difference”, said the lawmaker.
The European Council is scheduled to decide on Georgia’s membership candidate status by the end of this year, following the country’s official application for the bloc’s membership last year and subsequent granting of a European perspective to it.
Announcement of United National Movement, the largest opposition party in the country, to boycott Parliamentary work in response to Tbilisi City Court ruling on the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili is a part of the party’s “continuous efforts” to “hamper” Georgia’s European integration process, Anri Okhanashvili, the Chair of the Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee from the ruling Georgian Dream party, said on Tuesday.
European Council President Charles Michel on Tuesday said the Council of the European Union must make a decision on starting the process of negotiations on the accession of Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia to the bloc by the end of this year.
Mamuka Mdinaradze, the Executive Secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday said the opposition United National Movement party’s boycotting of the Parliament was “incompatible” with goals of implementation of the European Union conditions for granting the country its membership candidate status.
Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili will on Tuesday have “important meetings” with officials at the European Commission ahead of the body’s reports on the country’s European Union membership candidate status, Vakhtang Makharoblishvili, Georgia’s representative to the bloc, has told the media.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, together with the Georgian Parliamentary delegation, will participate in the Spring plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, taking place in Strasbourg between April 24-28.
Givi Mikanadze, an MP from the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday said the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe was “always an important platform” for the Georgian Parliamentary delegation to voice positions “most important for the country”.