Ruling party official warns President against pardoning ex-President Saakashvili

Kakha Kaladze, the Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party and Tbilisi Mayor, on Monday warned President Salome Zourabichvili against pardoning the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili.

In his remarks over the matter, Kaladze claimed if Zourabichvili pardoned the former official she would become a “facilitator” of the opposition United National Movement party’s “line”.

If Salome Zourabichvili does all this and takes a step regarding the pardon, she will be a sharer and a facilitator of the same line that United National Movement and Saakashvili represent”, he said. 

The ruling party official stressed UNM was “using everything for [stoking] hatred, blackmail, and bullying”, and further accused the party of “psychological terror”.

Zourabichvili has previously said she will not pardon the imprisoned leader of the former UNM Government.