Gharibashvili speaks out over biased judges
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Wednesday, June 11
Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili has “legitimate suspicions” that several judges are still under the influence of the opposition United National Movement. Irakli Gharibashvili expressed his suspicion on June 10, during his speech in Batumi.
The PM stated that the current government has carried our significant reforms in the judicial system. However, he admitted that he has no illusion of everything being all right in the field. The PM hoped that soon the judges would escape from the pressure and serve the public’s interests. Gharibashvili once again accused the previous government in creating an “ugly system” in various directions. He predicted that very soon the UNM will disappear from Georgia’s political landscape due to the negative public attitude towards the party. The PM reiterated that the pre-election unrest is not in the coalition’s interests and blames the UNM for these recent provocations.
Members of the United National Movement are unanimous that the Georgian Dream coalition aims at destroying the party. They state that the coalition places pressure on their political opponents. Member of the UNM Gigi Ugulava stated that the coalition does not even hide its plans. However, he assures that such statements and actions affect the country’s image. The UNM keeps repeating that they are the major opposition party in Georgia.
The Head of the Elections and Political Technologies Research Centre, Kakha Kakhishvili told The Messenger that certain unrest in the regions might be caused due to some private disputes rather than some directive from the central government. The analyst states that the local elations are different in Georgia, as all individuals involved in the elections are fighting for their own interests and priorities. The analyst also believes that that if the provocations are created by the UNM, this just illustrates the weakness of the current government. Kakhishvili emphasizes that dissatisfaction among the public expressed in the pre-election period is being caused by the ineffectiveness of the Prosecutor’s Office, as well as decisions made by the Central Election Commission in terms of several candidates.
“The moratorium on detentions declared by the PM is also obscure. If somebody commits a crime, he should be punished. The best way to avoid complications is reacting to the issue in a fair and timely manner,” Kakhishvili states.
Analyst Vazha Beridze told The Messenger that the statements made Gharibashvili regarding the UNM are absolutely “logical and fits within legal frames.”
“Gharibashvili is involved in the election; he is the chair of the leading party. People even expect him to make statements concerning the annihilation of the party that had committed multiple wrongdoings,” the analyst said, noting that the UNM will presumably not disappear from the Georgian political scene in the near future.
“The party has excellent financial resources and a very unanimous team. If the party does not take second position, it might be the beginning of a disappearance from politics for the UNM. Nino Burjanadze’s opposition unity has a chance to fight the UNM for second place,” Beridze said.
The analyst shares the PM’s vision that the judges are still controlled by the UNM.
“This is one of the reasons why the coalition could not keep its promise on restoration justice. The PM made a political step, appealed to the judges to back the UNM. However, such goodwill is less presumable. Real changes in the court system require real organizational modifications. Without such a change Georgia will not become a democratic country,” Beridze said.
