Ruling party official says calls for int’l investigation into elections “disrespectful” to country’s Constitution

Kakha Kaladze, the Mayor of Tbilisi and Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday said calls for an international investigation into the parliamentary elections held in the country last month were “disrespectful” to its Constitution and  institutions.

Kaladze’s comments came after Michael Roth, the Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee of the German Bundestag, who is on a visit to Georgia with a delegation of chairs of  parliamentary committees on foreign relations from eight member states of the European Union, on Monday called for an “independent investigation” into  alleged election irregularities.

Kaladze said theelections had been held “at the highest level”, citing  conclusions of the _’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, “both interim and final”.

Everything is clear that the elections were multi-party, where every person had the opportunity to make a choice. Accordingly, 1,120,000 people chose peace, economic development of the country, progress and dignity”, the ruling party official said.

He also commented on the possible suspension of visa-free travel to the EU for Georgian citizens by claiming that “all this time we have been hearing hostile rhetoric from the West”.

Kaladze further reviewed an ongoing visit of European officials to the country by noting that “these people do not respect our country, statehood and Georgian citizens, [and therefore] the statements and actions of such people have no value”.

The European Union is based on different values, one of which is peace. These people speak to us on behalf of Europe and at the same time they are doing everything to create chaos and tension in the country”, he alleged.

Earlier today, Shalva Papuashvili, the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, said he had declined a meeting with the delegation, led by Lithuanian MP Žygimantas Pavilionis, citing “unfriendly rhetoric” to the ruling Georgian Dream party by specific members of the delegation, and their “sowing of chaos” in the country through their alleged backing of the “radical opposition in the name of the EU”.