Georgian PM: President’s criticism towards Gov’t “in such peaceful period” clear example, confirmation of democracy

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, on Saturday, said President Salome Zourabichvili’s criticism towards the entire Government for the past two days, “in such a peaceful period” in the country, was “another clear example and confirmation” of democracy.

Commenting on Zourabichvili’s criticising speech at the Independence Day event, Garibashvili stressed “at least” the day of independence had to be “a day of mutual respect, expression of love, and it should be a unifying day [for all Georgians]”.

The Georgian Government has achieved progress in all directions, “in some cases with ten times more results than during the previous Government” and with the main difference today - democracy, citizens having “complete freedom” and the country “moving forward”.

He also responded to the initiative of the President, who at the forum dedicated to the Day of the Georgian Diaspora, said she wanted to ensure to “get at least one representative of the diaspora into the Parliament”.

The PM emphasised, by his Government’s initiative, taking care of the diaspora was recognised as a “direct responsibility and obligation” of the Government on a constitutional level, reminding herewith that “the representative of the French diaspora” was elected as the President of the country.

“I find it very embarrassing and offensive to talk about how many representatives of the diaspora live in which country, [...] It is insulting for me to call our diaspora half-Russian, half-Georgian, and it would probably be offensive for the President if someone called her half-French when we elected him as the President of Georgia”, he added, responding to Zourabichvili’s statement that there were “about half a million” Georgians in Russia, “who are half-Georgian and half-Russian”.