Ruling Party Chair Lashes out at ‘Rich’ NGOs, Alleges Anti-US Agenda
In a press briefing held on October 30, Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chairperson of Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream party, criticized over 50 “rich” CSOs who had issued a joint statement, asserting that the government was inadequately responding to the sanctions imposed by the United States on Georgian judges and the former Chief Prosecutor and blamed them for “trying not to allow the new U.S. Ambassador to reset relations with Georgia”.
The statement, signed by more than 50 CSOs criticizes the Georgian authorities for “defending the interests of those sanctioned, disregarding the legislation and trying to downplay the negative consequences caused by the sanctions by conducting anti-Western propaganda.
Kobakhidze asserted that the Georgian government had been unable to secure persuasive evidence from its partners to substantiate the guilt of the sanctioned individuals. He maintained that this absence of compelling proof underscored that the imposition of visa restrictions on judges and the inclusion of Otar Fartskhaladze in the list of sanctioned individuals were not rooted in factual evidence.
In this context, the GD chair emphasized that the United States, a strategic partner of Georgia, has frequently encountered “inconvenient” situations in the past due to the “irresponsible” actions undertaken by “rich” NGOs. As an example, Kobakhidze remembered parallel vote tabulation (PVT) “scandal” following the 2020 parliamentary elections when “a rich NGO” created “a very severe inconvenience.”
Kobakhidze mentioned the arrival of the new U.S. Ambassador to Georgia, Robin Dunnigan, with whom the government has already held “very productive meetings.” Kobakhidze said the government has “very solid ground for optimism” when it comes to the perspective of strengthening U.S.-Georgia ties under Ambassador Dunnigan. However, “in this situation, the rich NGOs’ statement, which clearly aims to maintain the undesirable misunderstanding in the U.S.-Georgia relations, is a step against positive endeavor of the Ambassador,” Kobakhidze added.
Kobakhidze also expressed criticism over the timing of the CSOs’ statement, which coincided with the European Commission’s impending assessment regarding Georgia’s candidacy. He assessed this as a deliberate move aimed at undermining Georgia’s chances of obtaining candidate status, characterizing it as “nothing less than another flagrant action directed against the granting of candidate status to Georgia.”
Kobakhidze contended that “rich NGOs” are aligned with the interests of the “global war party” and are pursuing actions aimed at the “Ukrainization of Georgia.”
Also Read:
- 20/10/2023 – US Side Provided no Evidence on Partskhaladze, Says Head of SSSG
- 17/10/2023 – President Revokes Partskhaladze’s Citizenship & Vetoes “Tents Law” Ahead of Impeachment Procedure in Parliament
- 29/09/2023 – Who is the Son of Sanctioned Otar Partskhaladze?
- 19/09/2023 – National Bank Makes U-Turn, Shields Sanctioned Partskaladze
- 19/09/2023 – Prosecutor’s Office Denies Partskhaladze’s Influence, Speaks of Disinformation
- 19/09/2023 – CSOs: Partskhaladze’s Case Shows that SSSG Doesn’t Perform its Function Properly
This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)
