PM Kobakhidze: Ready for debates, but opposition continues to evade

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze stated on Wednesday that he has no problem participating in television debates but believes the opposition is avoiding them because they have nothing meaningful to say to the public.

“Television debates are not an issue for me—there’s no difficulty. The opposition has so little to say to the public that foreign entities are running their campaign for them. What kind of debate could they possibly handle?” Kobakhidze said.

The PM said the parliament is the primary platform for debates, and the opposition has had six opportunities to hold parliamentary debates but has dodged them every time.

“They had the chance in February, March, April, May, and June, and now it’s already September. They’ve had six chances for parliamentary debates with me and have avoided them every time,” he said.

Kobakhidze also highlighted the government’s strong support base, which he estimates at around 60%, compared to the opposition’s roughly 20%. He criticized President Salome Zurabishvili for her involvement in political activities, alleging that her actions breach the Constitution, which restricts her from participating in election campaigns. He asserted that despite Zurabishvili’s aspirations for a second term, her previous actions and alignment with the opposition party United National Movement (UNM) render her chances slim.

„After violating the Constitution, she’s now the president of the UNM. She won’t become their president a second time,” Kobakhidze stated.