Opposition MP: Georgia's EU candidacy "hindered" by some opposition members
She said the information about some politicians trying to hamper the decision-making process on Georgia’s candidacy “has been around for a long time”, but emphasised it “has become even stronger” in the last few days. Photo via Parliament of Georgia
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Khatuna Samnidze, an opposition MP and the Chair of the Republican Party, on Tuesday said that “specific representatives” of the opposition were “hindering” the process of granting Georgia the European Union membership candidate status.
In her comments to the media, Samnidze noted these opposition groups “have intensified” their efforts against Georgia’s EU candidacy “in recent days”, which was “confirmed” by international partners.
If someone thinks that it is better for our country to postpone the decision on the status than to announce the status today, strengthen monitoring, stand by Europe, return to the [Association] trio, they should come out and say this publicly, and not to international partners”, Samnidze emphasised.
“The governments come and go, the main thing is that the country receives its [EU candidate] status, and it doesn’t matter what kind of government the country has today - [while] some of colleagues, especially women deputies, plan to make specific visits to specific capitals [to discuss EU integration], and at the same time there are politicians in the opposition who send different messages to our international partners and I think hinder this decision-making process”, she added.
Samnidze said the information about some politicians trying to hamper the decision-making process on Georgia’s candidacy “has been around for a long time”, but emphasised it “has become even stronger” in the last few days.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Thursday accused President Salome Zourabichvili and a part of the domestic opposition of “hampering” the process of composition of the country’s Central Election Commission, following the party’s announcement about a new electoral bill on election of the Commission Chair in the Parliament.
Kakha Kaladze, the Mayor of Tbilisi and the Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday claimed a part of the domestic opposition was “doing everything to hinder” the country’s European integration and disrupt upcoming decisions on whether it would receive the European Union membership candidate status.
Georgian parliament speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Tuesday said there were “unfriendly” groups outside Georgia making every effort to hinder the process of the country's European integration process.
Georgian prime minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday called on domestic opposition groups and lawmakers to end “destructive actions and sabotage” against “national interests” and join the work for obtaining the European Union membership candidate status for the country.
Khatuna Samnidze, an opposition MP and the Chair of the Republican Party, on Wednesday said unspecified political figures from the domestic opposition advising Georgia’s European partners behind closed doors to grant the EU membership candidate status to the country only after the 2024 Parliamentary Elections were “undermining” the opposition’s message that the country “needs the status”.
Lawmakers from the ruling Georgian Dream party on Wednesday urged Khatuna Samnidze, the head of the Republican Party in the Parliament, to name domestic opposition representatives she accused on Tuesday of taking actions to “hamper” Tbilisi’s obtaining of the European Union membership candidate status in December.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday said Khatuna Samnidze, the chair of the Republican Party opposition group in the Parliament, had “confirmed” that a part of the domestic opposition was lobbying against the country being granted the European Union membership candidate status.
Khatia Dekanoidze, an opposition MP from the Euro Optimists faction in the Georgian Parliament, on Wednesday said she could confirm “mixed messages” from domestic opposition groups over the country’s European Union membership candidate status were “causing concerns” among its foreign partners.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Wednesday said he wanted to “reassure everyone” that despite the internal and external enemies and sabotage, Georgia would receive the European Union candidate membership status.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Wednesday said his Government was ready to cooperate and “reach a compromise” with the “destructive [domestic] opposition”, “only if it is mutual”, to fulfil the recommendations outlined by the European Union to grant its candidate membership status to the country.
Shalva Papuashvili, the Georgian Parliament Speaker, on Monday claimed a part of domestic opposition groups and affiliated non-governmental organisations were engaged in “instigating xenophobia on ethnic grounds” amid the presence of Russian citizens in the country on the backdrop of Moscow’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Mikheil Sarjveladze, the Chair of the Human Rights Committee in the Georgian Parliament from the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday claimed the domestic opposition was “fully aware of [the identity of their colleagues] who had attempted to assure the country’s Western partners not to grant Georgia the European Union membership candidate status” last year.