GD Kobakhidze Speaks “Spies Revolution,” Thanks Police
On March 8, the Chair of Georgian Dream, Irakli Kobakhidze, addressed yesterday’s events.
He blamed the “radical opposition” and critical media for convincing a large part of the society “that the draft foreign agents’ law was Russian,” which stirred “sincere emotions.” He then claimed that the radical opposition tried to use these emotions for its own ends.
Kobakhidze complained about “unprecedented violence” and said all participants would be held accountable before the law. He thanked the law enforcers “for their patience and acting in accordance with the best human rights standards”
“Spies’ Revolution”
He said that the law adopted yesterday in the first hearing “is not about spying” but will help reveal “who works for foreign forces.” Kobakhidze said the events of the year 2003, when the public protests against stolen elections led to the change of government and the rise of the United National Movement (UNM), was “the Revolution of Spies,” who “ceded 20% of Georgian territories” in 2008. Kobakhidze contrasted these with the achievements of GD in the context of European and NATO integration.
Kobakhidze then blamed the opposition for planning a coup and said that had they succeeded, today, the Russian tanks would be rolling in the streets of Tbilisi: “They would invite them just like in 2008.”
He said: “We will not let the new spy revolution happen.”
Kobakhidze brushed aside the comparisons with Ukraine’s Maidan protests, saying, “what did Maidan bring them [the Ukrainians]? Already one year after Ukraine had war, it lost Crimea and big parts of Luhansk and Donetsk [regions], and today’s big war in Ukraine is the continuation of that. Overall Ukraine lost 20% of their territory.” He said some “radical” forces in Georgia want to repeat the same, with the support of MEPs. “We won’t act by the agenda of the radicals and [MEP] Viola von Cramon; we will act in the interests of the Georgian society.”
Talking about the draft laws, Kobakhidze said: “things will calm down, and the society will have, as a result, the CSO’s funding transparency, ensured by this law.” He reiterated the charge of foreign donors funding “extremist organizations” such as the Shame Movement or Droa, accusing them of “anti-Church Bolshevik propaganda” and lashing out at environmentalist groups for “acts aimed at disruption of Georgia energy independence.”
GD Chair concluded: “All this has nothing in common with Europe and European values. If we don’t protect our country against spies’ plans, not only we won’t become a member of the European Union but we will lose our sovereignty.”
He concluded by saying: “Georgian citizens 80% support EU integration and 90% support Georgian Church. Therefore, the detractors of the Church will never take Georgia to the EU.”
Also Read:
- 08/03/2023 – President Zurabishvili: “I Stand by Your Side Today Because Today You Represent Free Georgia”
- 07/03/2023- Law on “Transparency of Foreign Funding” Passes 76-13 in the First Reading
- 06/03/2023 – US Senators Express Concern Over Russia-Inspired Draft Law on “Foreign Agents”
- 02/03/2023-U.S., EU and UK Ambassadors React to Draft Law “On Transparency of Foreign
- 27/02/2023 – U.S. Ambassador Speaks to Media about Draft Laws on Foreign Agents and NBG
- 16/02/2023 – U.S. ‘Deeply Concerned’ about Draft Law on Foreign Agents
This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)
