Georgian Parliament Speaker accuses opposition of calling for hostile actions against Georgia

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili said on Friday that any political action taken by another country against Georgia, whether in the form of sanctions, declaring officials persona non grata or other measures, constituted a hostile act against the Georgian people.

Papuashvili was responding to remarks by opposition politician Nika Gvaramia, who said the European Union’s decision to postpone discussions on Georgia until January was a major mistake, arguing that the ruling Georgian Dream party interpreted any concession as a sign of weakness.

Papuashvili said Gvaramia’s statement further confirmed that the government was dealing with unconstitutional entities.

“The fact that the radical opposition calls for hostile acts against Georgia and for other countries to take action against our country confirms once again that we are dealing with unconstitutional entities whose activities run counter to the Constitution of Georgia. I believe this statement will also prove useful as evidence before the Constitutional Court that these groups are acting against Georgia’s sovereignty, interests and Constitution”, the Speaker said.

“These people remind us of historical figures who, at various times, travelled to Constantinople, Isfahan, Petrograd or Soviet Moscow, seeking to have troops assembled and sent against Georgia to bring about a change of government. Throughout the centuries, traitors have acted in precisely this way, rallying the armies and reactionary forces of foreign powers against Georgia. They are doing the same today: travelling to other capitals and seeking to bring fire down upon Georgia, whether in the form of missiles or sanctions. This is a hostile political act against Georgia, and any Georgian citizen involved in this, whether through incitement, assistance or any other means, is engaging in hostile activity against the country”, Papuashvili concluded.