Ruling party refuses to back “any opposition initiative” on foreign policy, occupation

Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Tuesday said his party would not back “any initiative” proposed by Parliamentary opposition groups about the country’s foreign policy and occupation of its territories by Russia. 

The comment came following the registration of an initiative by the opposition in the Parliament on Monday on expansion of the Otkhozoria-Tatunashvili List - drafted by the Government in 2018 to provide sanctions against individuals who have violated human rights in occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) regions since 1991 - and deoccupation issues, following the killing of Georgian citizen Tamaz Ginturi by Russian-controlled occupation forces this month. 

In his remarks, Kobakhidze claimed the opposition’s “key intention” was to “stage provocations”, while the current Government was implementing policies that he said had ensured “peace and stability” in the country over the past 11 years. 

The current Government has a  principled position on all topics that concern the national interests of our country. Let us implement the policies which have brought the result that Russia has had no territorial advance under our rule”, Kobakhidze said. 

He added the United National Movement - the largest opposition group in the Parliament and former Government between 2004-2012 - had been engaged in “provocations over the years”, and aimed at “staging large provocations” which could lead to the opening of a “second front” in Georgia on the backdrop of Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.