Leaders of Georgia’s opposition parties have met with the ambassadors of the United Kingdom, Germany, and France. Held at the British diplomatic mission, the meeting took place on the eve of court hearings on a lawsuit filed by the ruling party seeking to ban pro-Western political forces.
Following the meeting, the opposition leaders spoke to media representatives but refrained from disclosing the discussions in detail. In a conversation with the Formula TV channel, Badri Japaridze, representing Lelo – Strong Georgia, stated only:
“The conversation with the diplomats centered on how to protect the interests of our state and how to shield our people and our country from the severe, irreparable consequences that Georgian Dream’s reckless gamble could trigger. Right now, our primary concern is safeguarding the Georgian state from the potential fallout of this irresponsible adventure—that is precisely what was discussed… The Georgian people unquestionably belong to the civilized world and must remain part of it, and we must do everything possible to ensure they are not jeopardized by Georgian Dream’s irresponsible gamble.”
In turn, Giga Bokeria, one of the leaders of the Federalists, remarked that the West understands why the Georgian authorities have moved to ban opposition parties.
“We are well aware of the free world’s public stance, and there is nothing unexpected here. The Ivanishvili regime’s trajectory is one of confrontation with the free world in the interests of Georgia’s enemies, in the interests of Russia—that is their overt message. Meanwhile, our message to Georgian society is the most vital one: the essence is that with this step [banning the parties], the regime seeks to project strength and continue clinging to its wealth and power at the expense of Georgia’s future and every single citizen, catering to our enemies. It is precisely to mask this that the regime is doing what it is currently doing against the parties,” Bokeria said.
Irakli Pavlenishvili, one of the leaders of the United National Movement, stated that they held a “businesslike conversation regarding current developments in the country” with the ambassadors. “Naturally, Ivanishvili’s propaganda always exploits such meetings for its pro-Russian propaganda objectives. In reality, it is very simple: Ivanishvili wants no pro-Western national forces to exist in the country at all.”
Following the meeting between the diplomats and the opposition, Georgian Dream claimed that Western ambassadors were “busy directing the political process in Georgia.” According to Irakli Kadagishvili, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Regional Policy and Self-Government, “they cannot accept that they lost the elections, failed to pull off a coup, and are continuing these destructive actions.”
“Every time, their attempt has resulted in damage to democracy and crushing defeats for the opposition, yet they persist in this practice. They have no other vision and no other instructions.”
Tengiz Sharmanashvili, Deputy Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Defense and Security, made a similar comment: “A final briefing before appearing in the Constitutional Court. Come on, at least make an effort to disguise your subservience to foreign forces!”
As a reminder, substantive hearings on the lawsuit seeking to ban five opposition parties—the United National Movement, the Coalition for Change, Strong Georgia – Lelo, the Federalists, and Gakharia for Georgia—will take place at the Constitutional Court on October 21, 22, and 23 at 12:00. The lawsuit was filed with the Constitutional Court by 88 members of parliament from the ruling Georgian Dream party.