Anyone wishing to oppress Georgians will receive "tenfold" response from us - PM on leaving Party of European Socialists
“Friends, sorry, we are like this, we want this kind of Georgia, we are such people, defenders of conservative, national, family values”, he noted, adding the ruling party would have consultations with other parties. Photo via Government Administration
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Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, on Thursday, evaluated the ruling Georgian Dream party’s decision to leave the status of an observer member of the Party of European Socialists and said “everything offensive” to Georgian people trying to oppress them, would receive a “tenfold” response from the Government.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling GD party, earlier today announced the group was leaving roles it had held in the Party of European Socialists since 2015, citing an “unacceptable ideological transformation” of the latter.
Garibashvili explained that the political council of the GD party made the decision to leave the Party of European Socialists, as it had “slowly transformed” its ideology, policies and statements and the parties’ “ways diverged”, the Government Administration said.
He stressed the PES supported the “shameful and unfair” resolution, adopted on February 15 by the European Parliament, which said Bidzina Ivanishvili, the former Prime Minister and the founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party, was “the main problem of Georgia”, and called on the country’s authorities to allow the transfer of “the man who had returned Russian army [to Georgia[, surrendered [the country’s] 20 percent [...], tortured Georgian people” - imprisoned former president Mikheil Saakashvili abroad for treatment.
The Head of the Government said “such a unique resolution” had been supported by “a large part” of European Socialists, which was the “first crack” between the parties, and also stressed their support to the TV channel owner David Kezerashvili, who “had robbed European pensioners”. He added the PES had been supporting “anti-Georgian” resolutions.
Garibashvili said the PES had also condemned and “dedicated two statements” on his participation in the Conservative Political Action Conference in Hungary’s capital city of Budapest, usually attended by the US presidents and congressmen, along with “a lot of prominent politicians”.
“Friends, sorry, we are like this, we want this kind of Georgia, we are such people, defenders of conservative, national, family values”, he noted, adding the ruling party would have consultations with other parties.