Former Georgian Prime Minister, Giorgi Gakharia, issued a rebuttal on Wednesday to criticism from Kakha Kaladze, Secretary-General of the ruling Georgian Dream party and Mayor of Tbilisi. The criticism was directed at Roin Kochorashvili, father of national football team player Giorgi Kochorashvili, after the latter expressed support for an anti-government rally on social media.
In response to Kaladze's remarks, Gakharia, who leads the opposition For Georgia party, dismissed the claims of Kochorashvili's political affiliation. He accused Kaladze of aligning with the interests of Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder of Georgian Dream, likening Kaladze's political trajectory to serving different political figures. Gakharia asserted that Kaladze's involvement in politics has divided the football community along political lines.
"I recently advised him [Kaladze] to either focus on football or better himself. Unfortunately, he failed to grasp the essence of my advice. His allegiance is evident. From being a promotional figure for Saakashvili [the former president] to now serving Ivanishvili's [the GD founder] interests, he has divided football along political lines,” Gakharia stated.
Gakharia emphasized the pride and distinction with which Kochorashvili and the national team represent Georgia on the European stage. He warned that Kaladze and his supporters will face consequences for their actions, asserting that the Georgian people will not tolerate injustices perpetrated by them.
Gakharia, who formed the opposition party in 2021 following disputes with the ruling party, reiterated his stance against both the United National Movement (UNM) and Georgian Dream, labeling them as unacceptable for his goals. Meanwhile, Georgian Dream accuses Gakharia of collaborating with the UNM.
On Tuesday, protests erupted in response to the resubmission of the foreign influence transparency bill by Georgian Dream, which was initially rejected last year amid mass demonstrations in Tbilisi. Protesters denounced the bill as akin to a Russian law, expressing concerns that it could impede the country's integration with the European Union.
