Opposition MP slams UNM members for leaving country ahead of vote on commission following US sanctioning of Georgian judges

Salome Samadashvili, an MP for the opposition Lelo party, on Monday criticised Levan Khaberishvili and Ana Tsitlidze, two leaders of the opposition United National Movement party, for their departure for a visit to Poland ahead of a vote on the creation of an investigative commission in the Georgian Parliament following the United States Government’s sanctioning of Georgian judges last week.

Samadashvili called the development an “extreme political irresponsibility” while stressing the importance of the vote on the formation of the commission that will study the facts of corruption in the judiciary.

When they knew that there was going to be a vote on the creation of the investigative commission and decided to leave the city, that is an extreme political irresponsibility”, the opposition MP said.

“We have been campaigning for days and warning the entire opposition that this is an extremely important issue for our country, and that in this process every vote is crucial”, she noted.

Such irresponsible attitude towards one's own vote and mandate is what gives the public the feeling that opposition politicians cannot be trusted, and such behaviour damages the opposition as a whole”, Samadashvili added.

The vote on the commission comes after the United States Department of State on Wednesday sanctioned Irakli Shengelia, Mikheil Chinchaladze, Levan Murusidze and Valerian Tsertsvadze under the visa restrictions authority.

The decision alleged the current and former judges had “abused their positions as court chairmen and members of Georgia’s High Council of Justice, undermining the rule of law and the public’s faith in Georgia’s judicial system”.