Parliament official warns against opposition’s “peaceful coup” as externally driven ploy

Irakli Kadagishvili, the Chair of the Regional Policy and Self-Government Committee of the Georgian Parliament, on Friday accused the opposition of promoting a “peaceful coup” as a term coined externally to incite unrest in Georgia.

Kadagishvili’s response followed a social media message of Levan Khabeishvili, the Chair of the political Council of the opposition United National Movement party, who said that if a politician refused to participate in the elections organised by an illegitimate Government, then the second way was a peaceful coup, as there was no third way.

In his remarks, Kadagishvili claimed the concept was not originated by Khabeishvili but was instead deliberated and imposed from abroad to spark a new wave of instability.

“The term peaceful coup was not coined by Levan Khabeishvili. It was discussed and decided externally, and a new name was created. First, they misled people with talk of a coalition Government, and today we see how the parties that were supposed to form this coalition Government are clashing with each other. Once this task was dropped, the concept of a coalition vanished, and no one remembers the coalition Government anymore because no real coalition Government could be formed from them. They lack established political interests”, Kadagishvili said.

He criticised the opposition’s earlier promises of forming a coalition Government, noting their failure to unite as evidence of their lack of genuine political interests.

“These are forces that carry out a situational, externally controlled political façade. Now, this peaceful coup has also been suggested by the outside to stir up a new wave by the end of the year and make one last attempt to implement it”, he noted.

Kadagishvili warned that the opposition’s rhetoric could mislead young people into breaking the law, leading to severe consequences.

“I warn everyone once again that with this wordplay, just as they led a large number of young people astray and now they face legal consequences, they will mislead many more, cause them to break the law, and sacrifice many. Therefore, I once again call on them and their listeners to think carefully. With this wordplay, they are leading your children and young people to prison. They are turning them into cannon fodder for a revolution. Let them know that if they break the law, the law will reach those who utter these words as well”, he said.

The official dismissed the opposition’s influence, stating that “the main thing is not whether the opposition’s bubble follows or not. They follow whatever they are told. The people do not follow this, and that is the main thing. Who asks them to make any independent decisions? That’s why all of this is doomed to failure”.

Kadagishvili also addressed threats to suspend Georgia’s EU visa liberalisation, calling it a last-ditch attempt to pressure the country.

“Regarding visa liberalisation, I will tell you that they probably think it’s the last leverage they have to influence Georgia. It’s the remaining leverage, as if they would directly attack the country in some way. They think if this doesn’t yield results, what else can we use to blackmail this country? Society has seen that, in reality, the European integration process has turned not into a process of consistent support for the country but into a weapon for consolidating their political goals, blackmail, and pressure within the country. Society does not want to follow this kind of path. Society wants a fair path toward the European Union”, he concluded.