Parliament Speaker: citizens have “rejected” United National Movement opposition

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Sunday claimed the country’s citizens had “rejected” the opposition United National Movement party, President Salome Zourabichvili - who he said was “now [playing] to their tune” - and other political groups, adding the European Union had done the same with its decision to grant the country the bloc’s membership candidate status earlier this month.

In an interview with Imedi TV, Papuashvili said the current year was “important” for the citizens “winning” against the groups that were “trying to sow nihilism” in the country.

I think this year was important because the Georgian people won against those groups who tried to sow nihilism, to present the country as lagging behind, to say that we are a bad country with bad institutions, bad law, [bad] people”, he said.

“Those who have been doing this for the past 10 years - the United National Movement, Salome Zourabichvili, who is now [playing] to their tune, and other political groups - first of all, the Georgian people said ‘no’ to them, and then the European Union [did the same] with its decision”, the official continued. 

The chief Georgian legislator also stressed representatives of the “radical” opposition in the legislative body “as a rule” were not attending the Minister’s Hour format, used by state ministers to report on work of their offices.