Georgian Parliament Speaker accuses opposition of external manipulation, societal division

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Wednesday accused the domestic opposition of attempting to divide society and incite hysteria, claiming they were entirely controlled and directed by external forces.

In his interview with Rustavi 2 Tv channel, Papuashvili asserted that the opposition's agenda was dictated from abroad, with certain external powers using them and some activists within NGOs as “puppets”.

“They want to split society, to bring in hysteria. The process that has been ongoing for the past few months, which started during the pre-election period, has served as a clear illustration of the real problem within the opposition. If we observe their hysteria yesterday and today regarding an act passed by the Congress, the entire agenda is built on points dictated from abroad. On the other hand, there are external forces that directly use the opposition and some activists in the form of NGOs as puppets. This is the main diagnosis of the opposition and NGO activists - they are entirely aligned with the agenda of foreign forces and groups. We see this daily”, the Speaker said.

He emphasised the synchronised nature of attacks against Georgia, noting the rotation of external actors, including politicians and resolutions, aimed at providing daily “sustenance and instructions” to the opposition.

“The real problem lies with the opposition. The issue is that the opposition flank is entirely managed from abroad; they receive their agenda from abroad. Everything is a topic provided from abroad - the agenda, the points, the attacks, which they then seize upon, creating a commotion”, Papuashvili concluded.