“Immoral tactic of separating Gov’t from people” against Georgia’s “vital interests” - Parliament Speaker
Shalva Papuashvili alleged a “rallying cry” to give the bloc’s candidacy “to Georgian people not the Government”, came from Russia’s hybrid warfare. Photo: Shalva Papuashvili’s Facebook
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Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Thursday accused unspecified domestic and foreign political forces, non-governmental organisations and individuals of being engaged in “immoral tactics” of “separating the Government from the public”, claiming the approach “fits the Russian hybrid playbook” and was against Georgia’s “vital interests”.
In his social media post, the official claimed the existence of a “targeted campaign”, which he said had become “especially evident” after Georgia’s application for European Union membership in March 2022.
Papuashvili alleged a “rallying cry” to give the bloc’s candidacy “to Georgian people not the Government”, came from Russia’s hybrid warfare, adding both the Soviet authorities and the current Russian Government had used delegitimation of governments as a “tool of political subversion”.
President Putin of Russia, to this day, sends congratulatory holiday messages to ‘Georgian people’ as separate from its Government. The radical wing of Georgian opposition took this tactic up [in the alleged campaign]”, he said, before claiming “unfortunately some of our foreign partners and foreign-funded Georgian NGOs” had also used the same tactics.
The tactic of virtually separating Georgia’s democratic government from Georgian people fits the Russian hybrid playbook
— Shalva Papuashvili ???????? (@shpapuashvili) June 29, 2023
We have witnessed, in the last years, a targeted campaign aimed at decoupling Georgian government from Georgian people. Be it the question of European… pic.twitter.com/ElXzZoN3bf
Papuashvili claimed “some of the most radical members” of Georgian opposition had “studied at KGB-run” Soviet and Russian educational institutions, including former President Mikheil Saakashvili and the leader of the Droa opposition Elene Khoshtaria.
He also said the “virtual separation” of the Government with messages of it being “pro-Russian”, “corrupt” and “inept”, “contrasted to aspirations of the people” also had “another source”, which he said was “plain and sheer populism - the favourite tactic of some of the most unsavoury political forces in the contemporary world”.
Thus, we have a paradox: forces that claim to be ‘democratic’, ‘progressive’, and ‘pro-Western’ are using unacceptable political tactics that are in the toolbox of the most undemocratic and regressive countries - Russia included - and political ideologies”, he said.
Hailing the current Government's commitment to the country’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations and to ensuring “all genuine progress” on the path, he also pointed to security challenges sparked by the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and said the alleged tactics were against the “vital interests” of the country’s population.
“Now more than ever, Georgia needs unity and cooperation, and the immoral tactic of separating the Government from people goes against Georgia’s vital interests”, he said.
Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili on Tuesday highlighted a “huge” progress made by the country on its European Union integration path in his comments for the ninth anniversary of the country becoming an Associated Member of the EU.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Tuesday said support from all countries for the European Union to grant its membership candidate status to Georgia was “welcome” on the backdrop of the country being “treated unfairly for a year now” by having been left without the status in 2022.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday said the Georgian Government would present a “detailed” report on all the fulfilled 12 priorities outlined by the European Union for granting the country its membership candidate status later this year.
Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has praised a “historic day” for Georgia with his signing of the country’s bid for European Union membership on Thursday, saying the move “continues the efforts of our ancestors, which was aimed at unification in a common European family.”