Georgian PM: President’s “election campaigning” abroad shows “disregard” for German law
The PM said the development would “not have any practical effect” on the parliamentary elections scheduled later this month. Photo: Government Administration
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Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Wednesday claimed President Salome Zourabichvili had conducted “election campaigning” for domestic opposition outside the country without the consent of the German Government, and accused her of “disregard” for German legislation.
Kobakhidze’s comment came in reference to the requirement of the German Government’s permission for foreign politicians to hold events that can be regarded as election campaigning, with some cases of such events being prohibited altogether.
Actually, the Germans have a strict approach to these issues. In Germany it is forbidden to carry out agitation by the representatives of foreign countries, and it seems the German side avoided responsibility in this case, which is a positive outcome”, he said.
However, we must once again remind everyone that the Germans themselves, by their own legal acts, are forbidden, limited, without the appropriate special permission to allow someone to carry out agitation on the territory of Germany”, he added.
The PM said the development would “not have any practical effect” on the parliamentary elections scheduled later this month.
The head of the Government also commented on media reports that on Wednesday said Zourabichvili had refused to sign a ruling party-initiated package of bills on “family values and protection of minors” that has been criticised by the country’s Western partners, and returned it to the country’s Parliament.
The fact that Zurabishvili failed to stand for traditional and family values, or on the side of protecting the interests of minors, and chose to side with pseudo-liberal propaganda once again, shows her political choices and the forces that govern her actions”, the PM claimed.
The legislative initiative calls for prohibition of “production of LGBT propaganda” in educational institutions - in particular, dissemination of information “aimed at the promotion of a person's belonging to a different gender than their own, same-sex relationships or incest”.