Ruling party leader Kirtskhalia says opposition ‘can’t blackmail Georgian people’ over EU visa-free suspension

The leader of Georgia’s parliamentary majority and chair of the Georgian Dream faction, Irakli Kirtskhalia on Thursday said there were “no grounds” for suspending the country’s visa-free regime with the European Union.

In an interview with Imedi TV Kirtskhalia stressed that the opposition’s attempts to use the issue as political leverage against the Government would not succeed.

“We have commented many times on the visa-free suspension issue, and I will repeat there is absolutely no basis for it. There is no political justification either”, he said.

“Before Georgia obtained visa liberalisation, we remember how the opposition was running from corridor to corridor trying to prevent it. Now they are trying to get it revoked. It is an insult when they claim to care about the people and say visa-free travel should be suspended for the ruling party but not for citizens”.

The parliamentary leader added that similar rhetoric had been used by the opposition and its “foreign patrons” ahead of past elections but had failed to sway voters.

“The public gave them a dignified response. They will have to come to terms with the fact that they cannot blackmail the Georgian people, it is simply impossible”, Kirtskhalia said.