Georgia’s PM Kvirikashvili in Profanity-Laced Exchange with Opposition Leader
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Friday, December 22
(KUTAISI, Georgia) – In a heated exchange on the floor of the Georgian Parliament in Wednesday, Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili was caught hurling profanity-laced insults at his political rival, Nika Melia, after the latter accused the PM of fostering widespread corruption and nepotism in the country.
Kvirikashvili launched into his tirade arriving at the parliament building for a regularly scheduled session of prime minister’s questions.
Members of the country’s main opposition parties - the United National Movement (UNM) and European Georgia – used the occasion to accuse Kvirikashvili of protecting organized crime and corruption, being too accommodating to Russia on a host of issues and acting in the interesting of former prime minister, Bidzina Ivanishvili.
Kvirikashvili dismissed the accusations and accused the UNM of bringing the country to the point of collapse after former President Mikheil Saakashvili launched a disastrous war against Russia over the breakaway regions Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Following the incident, Kvirikashvili publicly apologized for his use of foul language, but blamed the UNM for provoking the outburst.
