Parliament Speaker says President's statement on Chinese leader “damaging”, “ignores citizen's interests”, “creates embarrassment”
Papuashvili also cited the “concern” of Zhou Qian, the Chinese Ambassador to Georgia, as the “main outcome” of Zourabichvili’s remark, adding the claims were “removed from the reality and fail to take into account the interests of Georgian citizens”. Photo: Parliament of Georgia
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Shalva Papuashvili, the Georgian Parliament Speaker, on Monday said comments by the Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili, who on Saturday said seeing the Chinese leader put on trial would be a “historic outcome”, were “damaging”, “ignored citizen’s interests” and “created embarrassment”.
The official’s comment came following a remark by Zourabichvili, who told France’s LCI channel the prospect of the leaders of Russia and China facing court would “clarify certain matters”.
Papuashvili alleged the Georgian constitution was a “just piece of paper” for Zourabichvili, in reference to the Constitutional Court’s decision that in October ruled the President had violated the law with her foreign visits in defiance of the Government.
He also alleged it was “not surprising” the President’s actions were “against the interests” of the country’s citizens, and noted partner countries were “aware her words do not represent the opinion of the majority” of the population.
He also claimed the President had put citizens in an “embarrassing situation” with “absolutely incomprehensible” statements when on foreign visits and while making remarks about “the leader of Georgia’s strategic partner country”.
Papuashvili also cited the “concern” of Zhou Qian, the Chinese Ambassador to Georgia, as the “main outcome” of Zourabichvili’s remark, adding the claims were “removed from the reality and fail to take into account the interests of Georgian citizens”.
Reacting to separate comments by the President and some opposition figures on the possibility of a coalition government being formed following the 2024 elections in Georgia, Papuashvili said it was “humiliating and patronising” on citizens of the country, and added Zourabichvili and the domestic opposition “need to learn how democracy functions and not dictate election results” to citizens.
Georgian Education Minister Giorgi Amilakhvari on Monday said comments by the Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili, who on Saturday said seeing the Chinese leader put on trial would be a “historic outcome”, were “categorically unacceptable”.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Monday told Zhou Qian, the Chinese Ambassador to Georgia, that comments by the Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili, who on Saturday said seeing the Russian and Chinese leaders put on trial would be a “historic outcome”, were “categorically unacceptable and disturbing”.
Kakha Kaladze, the Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday said the five percent election threshold would remain “unchanged” for next year’s parliamentary elections, amid demands by domestic opposition groups to decrease it to two percent.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Sunday said the Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili “only nominally” represented her position after the voting on her impeachment at the Parliament following the Constitutional Court’s ruling that she had violated the Constitution through holding foreign visits without the Government’s authorisation.
The ruling Georgian Dream party on Wednesday fell short of votes for President Salome Zourabichvili’s impeachment in the Parliament after 86 MPs voted for her dismissal instead of the mandatory 100.
The United National Movement and the Strategy Agmashenebeli opposition parties on Wednesday boycotted an impeachment session at the Georgian Parliament against President Salome Zourabichvili, as the ruling Georgian Dream party alleged an “alliance” between the President and “radical” domestic opposition groups.
The Constitutional Court of Georgia on Monday concluded President Salome Zourabichvili had violated the country’s Constitution through her visits to Europe in late August and September without the Government's authorisation.
Mamuka Mdinaradze, the Executive Secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday criticised “damaging” statements by the Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili, who on Saturday said seeing the Chinese leader put on trial would be a “historic outcome”.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Tuesday claimed President Salome Zourabichvili was “trying to somehow damage the country’s interests” after the latter on Saturday said in an interview seeing the Chinese leader put on trial would be a “historic outcome”.
Mamuka Mdinaradze, the Executive Secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Friday rebuked a remark by President Salome Zourabichvili, who on Thursday called Bidzina Ivanishvili, the former Prime Minister and founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party the “only oligarch” in the domestic politics.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Friday claimed President Salome Zourabichvili did “not consider herself a child of this country” and thought Georgia was the “backyard of her presidential residence”, in criticism of her unauthorised foreign trips.
Aleko Elisashvili, the leader of the Citizens opposition party, on Friday said the prospect of President Salome Zourabichvili appointing Eka Beselia - a former member of the ruling Georgian Dream party - as the Chair of the Pardon Commission was a “disaster”.