FM says Zourabichvili used as “legitimation instrument” against Georgian state

At a session of the Georgian Parliament’s Temporary Investigative Commission, Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili on Wednesday asserted that accusations leveled against the ruling Georgian Dream party were being orchestrated and supported by a specific group of individuals comprising politicians, non-governmental organisations, and certain media outlets within Georgia.

In her remarks, Botchorishvili emphasised that the former Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili was actively used as a tool related to legitimisation.

She further added that the ongoing campaigns were actually directed against the Georgian state and its institutions.

“It is impossible not to mention the Zourabichvili factor. She was actively used to become the sole perceived source of legitimacy. All these campaigns are actually directed against the Georgian state, against Georgian state institutions and against statehood”, the Foreign Minister said.

“When you do not recognise the Central Election Commission, the judiciary, the Parliament and then say that you want something good for this country, it is simply illogical. If you want the Georgian people to receive good, then you must respect the choice of these people and you must respect the result, which is the result of the choice made by the Georgian people. However, we see that this is where the division is taking place, who is the people for them and who is not the people, they have a little difficulty with this, although”, she concluded.