Georgian Parliament official says absence of genuine opposition “harmful” to country

Gia Volski, an MP from the ruling Georgian Dream party and the First Vice Speaker of the Parliament, on Friday said that the absence of a genuine opposition was “harmful” to the country, as the current domestic opposition was merely a group of individuals attacking their own nation based on specific interests.

In his remarks, Volski highlighted the importance of understanding that a collective United National Movement opposition was a group of “rootless” people, acting against the country’s interests.

“They have noticed that Salome Zourabichvili [the former President] is being drawn into a new scenario, attempting to break away from the enchanted circle of the United National Movement. They want to follow her. Today, they may argue, tomorrow they may reconcile, exchange insults, and later show affection. It does not matter, what matters is that the public understands that this is a collective UNM, a group of rootless people, acting against Georgia’s interests”, the Parliament official said.

He further added that attacking the country for certain interests did not constitute a genuine political opposition.

“Political debates can be held on various topics: media freedom, economy, education, agriculture, but we have never witnessed such discussions. For years, we have existed without a genuine opposition. Those who were in the Parliament acted in a sabotage mode. A healthy political process has never taken place”, Volski continued.

“We are talking about individuals driven by fury, whose primary objective is to overthrow the Government through forceful means. If a new political force emerges, it is highly likely to be drawn into this cycle - not of radical opposition, but of a revolutionary process”, he concluded.