The Daily Beat: 5 December
The Georgian delegation headed by the ruling party chair, Irakli Kobakhidze, began a four-day visit to Hungary, where they will hold consultations with Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semien, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly János Latorcai, Chairwoman of the Committee on European Union Affairs Judith Vargas, and Minister of EU Affairs János Bóka. The visit comes amidst an apparent divergence of opinions over the EU’s enlargement process and Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán’s recent statement that there is no place for an enlargement on the agenda of the EUCO’s December meeting.
Upon arrival in Budapest, the ruling party chair, Irakli Kobakhidze, forecasted the resignation of the President before the 2024 parliamentary elections and her participation in the elections. “There is a high probability that one or two months before the parliamentary elections, Salome Zurabishvili will resign and take part in the parliamentary elections, although everyone knows perfectly well what the rating of this person is, so she won’t succeed in strengthening the United National Movement,” claimed Irakli Kobakhidze. According to the GD party chair, in the face of the already crumbling United National Movement, the President will try to lead the new opposition coalition.
In the meantime, the cracks are widening in the largest opposition party, the United National Movement (UNM), as 14 more members of the Zugdidi Council (Sakrebulo) have departed the UNM amid the internal tensions and a rift between the current UNM leader, Levan Khabeishvili, and the ousted UNM chairman, Nika Melia. Five other members also left the UNM faction in the Chiatura Council. Several members of the UNM faction of Batumi’s office left the party a day earlier, citing disagreements with the UNM’s current leadership. The Georgian Dream chair, Irakli Kobakhidze, believes that the disintegration of the UNM is part of the plot masterminded by the former defense minister, David Kezerashvili, who intends to create a new political platform.
Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili met with the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Joshua Huck, who is visiting Georgia. According to the official press release, the parties discussed the US-Georgia strategic partnership, regional stability, Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic trajectory, and the importance of EU candidacy. U.S. Ambassador Robin Dunnigan, Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili, and Head of the Government Administration Revaz Javelidze also attended the meeting.
The teachers went on hunger strike in front of the Education Ministry, claiming that the selection process for school principals launched by the ministry was unfair and that the positions were allocated selectively. An emergency medical team had to be mobilized as the teacher, Maia Ekaladze, developed health complications on the second day of the hunger strike. After meeting the Education Minister and his deputies, teachers Maia Ekaladze and her colleague Davit Peradze said that the meeting failed to address any of the teachers’ concerns, and the protesters have decided to continue their hunger strike.
Online media outlet On.ge reportedthat Rusa Shelia, a US-based correspondent for the ruling Georgian Dream’s mouthpiece, Imedi TV, resigned, citing the company’s alleged anti-USA agenda. Shelia noted that Imedi TV initially had no objection to publishing her interviews, commentaries, and other material; however, over time, the network’s interest in covering issues considered important to the Georgian and global media waned. She recalled that the shelving of the interviews and other material she produced began slowly, step by step, carefully and covertly. Instead, she claimed, she was given assignments exclusively “aimed at discrediting the United States.”
