Georgia’s Parliament Speaker slams EU mission for electoral irregularities, urges bloc to “listen to people, not funded NGOs”

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Wednesday criticised the European Union's intention to send a technical mission to Georgia to study alleged irregularities in the country's parliamentary elections held last month, urging the bloc to “engage directly” with citizens rather than “rely on reports from foreign funded non-governmental organisations”. 

Speaking to Imedi TV, the official stressed “to those who want to come with a mission or a group, I would recommend one thing - go from district to district, village to village, and listen to what the people think - not what their own sponsored NGOs say”. 

Addressing the proposed mission, announced by Josep Borrell, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, on Monday, the Speaker questioned its necessity, pointing out the bloc already had a diplomatic presence in Tbilisi. 

The EU has its own diplomatic mission in Georgia, which is a technical, political, and actual mission. If they need anything, they can find out through the embassy”, he argued.

The official further highlighted the ruling Georgian Dream party’s recent electoral victory, saying “54 percent supported the GD. How should they talk about the fact that the people want something different and the Government - something else? That is exactly why there was this anger - the arrival of this eight-member mission here to stir things up”. 

The official also criticised what he described as “undemocratic behaviour from some Western politicians”, likening it to tactics “historically employed by Moscow”. 

This is the most undemocratic behaviour we, unfortunately, see from some Western politicians. This is the behaviour we saw from Moscow when the people and the Government were separated, and this is what we are seeing now from some European politicians”, he said. 

The Speaker further accused foreign actors of “interfering in Georgia’s domestic affairs”, particularly during the pre-election period. 

Talking to the Government elected by the Georgian people on behalf of the Georgian people should stop”, Papuashvili said, adding that European politicians who had allegedly participated in pre-election campaigns had “received a response from the Georgian people” that he claimed “aligns with the Government’s policies”.

He claimed through their choice in the vote, the voters had backed the laws proposed by the GD and condemned by the country’s Western allies for their potential impact on human rights and the country’s democratic development, including the laws on the transparency of foreign influence and the legislation on family values and protection of minors.