Georgian PM says EU Ambassador’s pro-UNM statements will not have impact on upcoming local elections

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Thursday said Paweł Herczyński, the EU Ambassador to the country, can continue his “election and political campaign” ahead of the local self-government elections, adding that as in the case of the parliamentary elections held last October, his pro-opposition statements would have “no influence” on these elections either.

“The European Union Ambassador directly interfered in the [parliamentary] election processes, when he called on the public to be active against the Georgian Dream [party] and in favour of the collective [United] National Movement [opposition]. This is not a correct attitude, although on the backdrop of all this, as you know, we were able to win the [parliamentary] elections”, the Prime Minister said.

“The European Union Ambassador can continue the election campaign, the political campaign, local self-government elections are ahead, however, as in the case of parliamentary elections, in the case of self-government elections, the pro-United National Movement party statements of the European Union Ambassador will not have any impact on the election results,” he concluded.