Georgian Parliament Speaker warns EU over support for groups planning violence on election day

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Thursday sharply criticised meetings between European Union representatives and members of the opposition United National Movement (UNM) party, accusing them of showing solidarity with groups he claims have announced plans for violence on October 4.

“Do they want to meet representatives of the United National Movement with criminal backgrounds? Do they want to meet people who have announced violence on October 4? Let them meet. But then they must publicly state that they call for no violence on October 4. Silence in such cases is nothing but encouragement for violence”, the Speaker said.

He further warned that “if even one act of violence occurs on October 4, responsibility will be shared by those representatives of EU institutions who embrace these violent groups”.

The Parliament Speaker also emphasised the timing of the planned protest, scheduled for 16:00 - when voting will still be in progress.

“Every well-intentioned foreign partner who truly cares for the Georgian people should be concerned with ensuring that every citizen has the opportunity to exercise their constitutional rights on election day”, he continued.

Papuashvili accused the UNM of orchestrating a violent rally on election day.

“The United National Movement, with its criminal past and present, is organizsng a violent protest on election day. The spokesperson of the European Commission has expressed solidarity with them. Today, we saw UNM representatives in Brussels meeting EU officials in the European Parliament. We have not heard any statement urging the UNM to renounce violence on October 4. Such meetings and expressions of solidarity constitute shared responsibility for the announced violent events. If a single stone is thrown at police or anyone else, if there is even one act of violence at the UNM’s rally, not to mention Molotov cocktails being brought in - the European Commission and European bodies will share responsibility for these acts through their statements and gestures of support”, he concluded.