Ivanishvili behind four former MPs of ruling party attacking the US – For Georgia’s Kemoklidze

The ruling Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili is very likely to stand behind the four former MPs of the ruling Georgian Dream party who have been attacking the West since “formally” leaving the party in June, a member of the For Georgia opposition party, founded by former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakhakhia, Kakheber Kemoklidze, said on Friday. 

Describing the former GD MPs, Sozar Subari, Dimitri Khundadze, Guram Macharashvili and Mikheil Kavelashvili, as “Ivanishvili’s postmen” or “Charlie’s angels”, Kemoklidze said that “Ivanishvili must come out [from the backstage] and tell the public what he wants”. 

The former security official suggested that the recent, “anti-Western” statements being made by the four, served the goal to lower the Georgians’ support for the country’s Euro-Atlantic integration. 

“More than 85 percent of the Georgian population supports the country’s Euro-Atlantic integration and the authorities are well aware that they will have to meet the 12 conditions set by the European Union for Georgia’s membership candidate status. The current Government has no desire to meet the conditions as this would mean Georgia’s institutional development and the Georgian Dream’s lower chances to remain in office”, Kemoklidze said. 

The four former MPs of the ruling party on Friday accused the US Embassy to Georgia and Ambassador Kelly Degnan of “fighting against Georgia’s sovereignty” and backing the “radical forces who wish a coup”.