“Foreign spies” stirring up polarization in Georgia – ruling party head

Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Tuesday claimed the “major force stirring up political polarization in Georgia are foreign spies”, pointing to “political parties, NGOs and affiliated media”, who he claimed had their “bosses” abroad.  

 

He claimed solving the problem of polarization was not dependent on the current authorities, as the process was run from the outside, without specifying concrete individuals or states. 

 

However, Kobakhidze and other officials from the party had many times accused the Western forces rather than Russia of “sparking unrest” in the country in a bid to “overthrow” the current Government and “drag” Georgia into the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. 

 

“[certain] political parties, their affiliated NGOs and media outlets completely consciously and artificially stir up polarization in this country. This is one of the main tasks they receive from their bosses”, Kobakhidze said. 

 

Responding to announced impeachment procedures by the ruling party against President Salome Zourabichvili for visiting the EU this month without the Government’s consent, Kobakhidze claimed “the gross violation of the Constitution of Georgia [by the President] causes tension and polarization and not raising the issue”. 

 

Josep Borrell, the EU High Commissioner, who visited Georgia last week said the current state authorities were responsible to ensure conditions for easing political polarization, saying the latter was the “key obstacle” for Georgia’s EU integration into the bloc and obtaining candidate status later this year. 

 

The official claimed the impeachment procedures against the President could further strengthen domestic political tensions. 

 

Borrell also strongly condemned the claims about the West’s alleged attempts to drag Georgia into the war, saying it was part of the Russian propaganda that was “strong” in Georgia.