Shalva Papuashvili, Chairman of the Georgian Parliament and one of the leaders of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Friday announced that ambassadors of foreign countries will not be invited to the first session of the new parliament scheduled on Monday.
Speaking at a briefing, Papuashvili clarified that invitations had been sent out to government members and representatives of constitutional bodies, but no invitations were extended to foreign ambassadors.
“I sent out invitations the day before yesterday. Members of the government and representatives of constitutional bodies are invited to the first session. Ambassadors are not invited to the first session,” Papuashvili said.
The move comes following the request of opposition leaders to diplomatic corps not to attend the new parliament’s first session in a sign that they did not recognise the legitimacy of the body amid allegations of “rigged elections”.
