Parliament Chairman Criticizes EU Diplomats and President Zourabichvili
By Liza Mchedlidze
Wednesday, August 7, 2024
Shalva Papuashvili, Chairman of the Georgian Parliament, has accused some EU officials and diplomats of increasing polarization in Georgia, leading to a situation where President Salome Zourabichvili undermines state institutions.
Papuashvili criticized Zourabichvili for allegedly breaking the constitution by participating in pre-election activities. "What Salome Zourabichvili is doing is going against the constitution - she is directly involved in the pre-election agitation, which is a violation of the constitution," he said. Papuashvili accused the president of showing a lack of respect for the constitution and said her actions suggest she does not recognize the legitimacy of state institutions.
He also mentioned international pressure during the impeachment process against Zourabichvili. Papuashvili claimed that EU officials and diplomats pressured the Georgian Parliament not to support the impeachment, arguing it would increase polarization.
"High political officials of the European Union, diplomats, and politicians put direct pressure on the Parliament of Georgia not to support the impeachment," he stated. According to Papuashvili, this intervention helped Zourabichvili stay in office, with support from Mikheil Saakashvili and the United National Movement.
Papuashvili called Zourabichvili's recent statements "frivolous" and criticized the lack of response from NGOs and election observers regarding her actions. He warned that the Parliament will not support any actions that break the constitution and urged Zourabichvili to follow the rules. "No one is going to encourage them to violate the Constitution once again. She should stay within the framework of the position she has and respect the Constitution of Georgia," Papuashvili concluded.
