Georgian Parliament Speaker says domestic opposition seeks foreign support instead of voters’ backing

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday said the domestic radical opposition was not fighting to win the support of Georgian voters but was instead seeking the sympathy and financial backing of foreign actors.

Speaking to journalists, Papuashvili noted that the domestic opposition had moved outside constitutional principles and was acting as a non-systemic political force.

“We are dealing with anti-constitutional parties. That is precisely why we appealed to the Constitutional Court to determine this. When parties depart from constitutional principles and turn into non-systemic groups, this is the kind of situation that follows”, he said.

“There will continue to be turmoil as long as we tolerate parties that are enemies of the Constitution in Georgia. The main party betrayed by these people and their so-called allies is Georgia itself”, Papuashvili continued.

He emphasised that it was easy to see that they were not fighting to win the votes of the Georgian people.

“They are fighting for the sympathy of foreigners and for foreign funding. This country is small and nothing remains hidden. We know very well how representatives of the radical opposition appeal for funding from various countries during meetings at embassies and with foreign officials”, he said.

“This is a struggle for foreign financing. They are effectively offering Georgia on a silver platter. We know what promises they make about what they would concede if they came to power. This amounts to selling the country in plain sight”, Papuashvili concluded.