PM Slams Opposition, Speaks of Traditional Values

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili congratulated war veterans on the May 9 – Victory Day over Nazi Germany and then answered journalists’ questions, not missing the chance to once again slam the “unsuccessful” and “bankrupt” opposition and speak of traditional values.

“Bankrupt, unsuccessful” opposition tries to overshadow “scandal” around David Kezerashvili

Speaking to journalists, PM Garibashvili noted that the “bankrupt, unsuccessful and unserious” opposition is trying to overshadow “the global scam network” of the so called “call centers exposed by the BBC” – confirming that former Defense Minister “[Davit Kezerashvili] and his gang of swindlers robbed European pensioners. USD 1 billion has been stolen.”

“And this man still has ambitions and the opposition parties that he is funding have ambitions to come to power. This is alarming” – the Prime Minister said, noting that journalists should ask questions about it and the public should get answers.

“I believe that the European investigative bodies will bring this case to an end. You know that we have been actively cooperating with the German investigation for the past two years. We have been investigating many facts together and, in the end, this reality came to light”- he added.

Garibashvili also focused on Zurab Japaridze, leader of the opposition party Girchi – More Freedom, saying that “the leader of this party with 1% support” remains “in a huge utopia” and “poisons the public, the youth and like-minded people.”

“These unsuccessful, bankrupt, anti-national forces with 1% support will not stage anything in our country. Our people are wise, they see well what is happening and we have preserved the most important thing – we have preserved peace and not only have we preserved it, we have also saved the country” – Garibashvili said, adding that “if these neo-fascist and ultra-radical forces had been in power, we would not have had our country anymore.”

“We will not allow violence against the minority, nor violence by the minority against the majority of our people”

Asked about the PM’s participation in the Conservative Political Action Conference in Budapest, Garibashvili reiterated that “we will not allow violence against the minority, nor violence and aggressive propaganda by the minority against our population, the majority of our people.”

He also emphasized that the rights of every citizen of Georgia are guaranteed by the Constitution and “not a single person is discriminated against in our country.” However, the Prime Minister added that “the absolute majority” of Georgians, about 90%, “share the conservative views, the family values, with which we have come to the present day. These are Christian values, national, patriotic, family values.”

Asked about criticism from the Party of European Socialists (PES), where Georgian Dream has observer status, over his participation in the ultra-conservative forum in Budapest, PM Garibashvili noted that the ruling party’s political council would discuss the issue and “we will draw conclusions, probably even before the Socialists meet in June.”  

“Some people have made statements that my participation in the conference is unacceptable to them, and they consider unacceptable my statements, when I said that LGBT propaganda among children, schools and kindergartens, aggressive propaganda about gender and sex change is unacceptable to us” -he said, adding that “if this is the reason why some refuse to cooperate with our political party, it is their decision. We will also review our cooperation with them.”

“Let Mr. Arakhamia mind his own business”

Asked about the statement by the leader of Ukraine’s “Servant of the People” faction, Davit Arakhamia regarding the return of the Ukrainian Ambassador to Georgia and possible sanctions against some Georgian citizens, PM Garibashvili replied that he would not make “serious comments” on the remarks of “a certain nonentity.” “Let Mr. Arakhamia mind his own business,” he added.

The Prime Minister said that Arakhamia’s remarks were “yet another proof” that he and “our extremist, radical opposition have been and are in full coordination with the sole purpose of making something happen here, a coup, a violent change of government to bring the fascist, neo-fascist regime that had ruled our country.”

“We have seen too many facts, our society has seen too many facts of this coordination, concerted actions, and it is certainly very sad that Mr. Arakhamia is directly involved in the internal affairs of our country, and no one asks him how we, our people and our government will pursue our policies,” he said.

The Georgian Prime Minister also focused on the remarks made by Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of the Ukrainian National Security Council, addressing journalists: “Are you Georgians?! Are you citizens of our country?! Why are you not worried?! Someone, a citizen of a foreign country, wanted to open a second front in your country, to turn our country into a battleground, you see what is happening in Ukraine, and you do not even protest, you do not react to it, you just repeat the same thing.”

Speaking about the war in Ukraine, PM Garibashvili said that he wished Ukraine and the Ukrainian people peace and return of their territories as well as “a quick end to this destructive war.”

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