Georgian PM: Gov’t has “prevented all attempts to disrupt” country, gained EU membership candidate status

The Georgian Government has “prevented all attempts to disrupt” the country, kept it peaceful and gained the European Union membership candidate status, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze  said on Monday at a public rally in support of the domestic bill on transparency of foreign influence outside the Parliament in the capital city of Tbilisi.

In comments to the rally organised by the ruling Georgian Dream party, the PM the state “not bowing to anyone and standing with dignity” would ensure it received a “worthy result”, adding those who “oppose the transparency of the non-governmental sector is actually driven by the only goal - to never let this country rest and constantly maintain a closed circuit of polarisation”.

Kobakhidze was making the comment in reference to the reintroduced bill which calls for the registration of non-commercial legal entities and media outlets in the country as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they derive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad, and has been met by public protests.

Photo: Georgian Dream

The Government head alleged the “radical opposition and its related NGOs” had “already tried to organise a revolution twice” in the country since the elections in 2020.

All its supporters and voters share the responsibility for the constant enmity of the state, which is carried out by the radical opposition. All those voters who voted for the United National Movement, [or Lelo for Georgia opposition party of Mamuka] Khazaradze, [For Georgia opposition party of Giorgi] Gakharia, Girchi [party] or any other radical political group in 2021, voted for chaos and [opening of] the second front in Georgia”, he alleged in reference to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

I call on each of these voters to better understand their responsibility to their country in October", Kobakhidze added in reference to the upcoming parliamentary elections.

The PM also told the crowds “sovereignty is the strongest guarantee of a country's security”, adding the principle was the reason the Government could not “agree to any demand that implies giving up Georgia's independence”.