Parliament Speaker denounces President for “referring to police with Russian terminology”
The chief Georgian legislator further claimed Zourabichvili’s recent actions were “showing her failure to understand the concept of state sovereignty”. Photo: Parliament of Georgia
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Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Thursday claimed President Salome Zourabichvili had “crossed all red lines” by “using Russian terminology to refer to the police”.
Papuashvili’s comments followed after Zourabichvili on Monday used the Russian term “spetsnaz” [riot police] in a social media message to refer to law enforcement present at a public protest against the bill on the transparency of foreign influence outside the Parliament in Tbilisi.
Salome Zourabichvili used Russian terminology to refer to the police and thus crossed all red lines regarding the state. Something unbelievable happened yesterday when she complained about her own Government to the Government of a foreign country”, Papuashvili said in reference to Zourabichvili’s appeal to the French President to consider the recent developments in the country.
The chief Georgian legislator further claimed Zourabichvili’s recent actions were “showing her failure to understand the concept of state sovereignty”.
Domestic opposition parties, non-governmental organisations, media outlets and citizens on Wednesday gathered outside the Parliament to protest the controversial bill that calls for the registration of non-commercial legal entities and media outlets in the country as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they derive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad..
The legislative body approved the first reading of the draft law on Wednesday, with further hearings to follow before its potential adoption.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Thursday claimed the domestic opposition had engaged in a “paradox” by holding a public protest in capital Tbilisi this week to “demand less sovereignty”, in comments on the rallies against the controversial bill on transparency of foreign influence.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Tuesday claimed the aim of public protests over the controversial domestic bill on transparency of foreign influence was to “suppress discussion and stage violent scenes”.
The Georgian Parliament on Wednesday approved the first reading of the bill on the transparency of foreign influence that has sparked public protests and criticism by some of the country’s foreign partners.
Georgia cherishes and safeguards relations with partner countries. By taking into consideration the main priority of our foreign policy - EU integration - cooperation with high-ranking officials of the United States of America, European Union and EU Member States, including the ambassadors and exchange of ideas is a profound priority for us. We value every supportive step and statement of current ambassadors that are directed at solidifying the international positions of Georgia. Thus, every grounded advice and recommendation will further be accepted with special attention and care.